Hengyuan: Number Three, I Actually Knew Your True Identity Long Ago

Emperor Yuanjing choked for a moment; he hadn't expected Xu Qi'an to give such a reply.

Every time he made things difficult for her, she would shout "I beg to retire," which was typical of a seasoned official. But to everyone's surprise, this little brat was even more decisive and actually asked for death.

Emperor Yuanjing's face darkened instantly. Those in power like to use harsh words to demonstrate their authority. From the emperor down to the county magistrate, they all like to say, "Give me this or that, or else I'll make you do this or that."

This was nothing unusual; after all, there was a distinction between superiors and inferiors, and subjects and servants could only accept it obediently.

Unexpectedly, the gong was pushed back, causing Emperor Yuanjing considerable discomfort.

Seeing the dramatic change in Xu Tongluo, Emperor Yuanjing was even more displeased, while at the same time marveling at how the Rebirth Pill truly lived up to its reputation as a rare and miraculous elixir.

The supervisor only managed to refine three pills in sixty years.

Emperor Yuanjing said sternly, "Xu Qi'an, do you think I won't kill you?"

Emperor Yuanjing reigned for thirty-six years, and his imperial majesty was at its peak. The air in the imperial study seemed to have lowered slightly, and several eunuchs immediately lowered their heads, not daring to look up at the emperor's face.

Only Wei Yuan could remain calm and composed in front of the emperor.

Xu Qi'an, of course, wouldn't continue to argue. Remaining calm, he abandoned his earlier aggressive stance and became meek and submissive, saying:

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I protected the Governor in Yunzhou and fought fiercely against the rebels, killing two hundred of them."

I, your humble servant, devoted myself wholeheartedly to Yunzhou and solved the case of Provincial Governor Song Changfu's collusion with the Witch God Cult, thus clearing Commander Yang Chuannan's name.

"All of the above are trivial matters, and I would never mention them to claim credit. As for the Sangbo case and the Pingyang Princess case, I have long forgotten about them and would never bring them up again."

"However, this humble servant is severely weakened and mentally exhausted. Since waking up, I have often suffered from headaches and am truly unable to share Your Majesty's burdens."

Emperor Yuanjing stared at him, unable to utter a harsh word for a moment.

This little gong-wielder deliberately fabricated a whole bunch of cases to highlight his own merits, first consolidating his position as a meritorious official, and then using physical discomfort as an excuse to shirk responsibility. He had already mastered the art of official court speech.

Wei Yuan immediately said, "Your Majesty, Xu Qi'an is just a lowly official. Even if he is very capable, his energy and spirit are severely depleted. His life or death is of little concern. However, if the case is delayed and Consort Fu is unable to clear her name, that is a serious matter."

He paused, then looked at Xu Qi'an and said, "Go back and rest assured to recover from your injuries. His Majesty will not send out starving soldiers."

The emperor does not starve his soldiers.

Emperor Yuanjing glanced at Wei Yuan, pondered for a moment, and said, "Xu Qi'an, the Bureau of Astronomy has as many prescriptions for nourishing the spirit as you need. The Lingbao Temple also has no shortage of miraculous pills. Since you are not feeling well, I can reward you with a few pills."

"Your contributions in Yunzhou are remembered by me, and I intend to bestow upon you the title of Viscount. Your imperial grace is boundless; do not fail to repay it."

Ultimately, Xu Qi'an was just a nobody, not worth Emperor Yuanjing's deliberate harassment. When the cabinet proposed to revoke his title, Emperor Yuanjing went along with it.

But since he needed Xu Qi'an, Emperor Yuanjing didn't mind giving him some benefits. However, he was very unhappy, knowing that he had been tricked.

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty. Your Majesty is wise and mighty, a great emperor for all ages," Xu Qi'an said loudly.

Emperor Yuanjing nodded slightly. "I need to obtain the truth of the case as soon as possible."

"This humble servant will dedicate himself to the utmost, even unto death."

Seeing that the little gong was so sensible, Emperor Yuanjing felt somewhat relieved and said calmly, "You may leave."

Walking side-by-side with Wei Yuan out of the imperial study and onto the empty square, Wei Yuan squinted, staring straight ahead, a faint smile on his face, "Did you learn anything?"

"I've learned something," Xu Qi'an said.

He truly learned it, unlike when he was in school and the teacher stood on the platform, banged on the blackboard, and asked, "Have you all learned it?"

He blatantly lied and loudly replied, "I know!"

Wei Yuan's reason for wanting to teach him was simple: emperors are also human, and they have weaknesses and are bound by rules; they cannot do whatever they want or act recklessly.

At the same time, the emperor is not omnipotent; he also has needs. As long as you possess what he "needs," you have a great deal of room to maneuver.

For example, in this case, the three judicial departments shirked responsibility and delayed the investigation. What could Emperor Yuanjing do? At most, he could only punish them, but he couldn't actually dismiss them or behead them.

Against this backdrop, Xu Qi'an, who had solved several major cases and offended many officials, was the perfect candidate to investigate the case.

Since the emperor wants to use you, it is necessary to reasonably fight for your own interests.

Once he becomes a viscount, Xu Qi'an makes some symbolic efforts, but it's reasonable that he fails to solve the case due to "insufficient ability".

After all, he's not an immortal.

At that time, Emperor Yuanjing's anger was foreseeable, but Xu Qi'an, who was already a viscount, would at most be punished with caning, salary deduction, or even demotion.

However, titles cannot be stripped away at will. Titles are a means for the court to win over people's hearts, and only those who have made great contributions can be granted them.

Correspondingly, the conditions for stripping someone of their title were very strict; it was not something the emperor could simply do at will. Otherwise, the title would be too cheap, and how could it be accepted by the people?

As for whether Emperor Yuanjing would renege on his debt, Xu Qi'an and Wei Yuan hadn't considered it. A ruler of a nation wouldn't be so shameless. Even if Emperor Yuanjing wanted to renege, Xu Qi'an could still delay the case.

For every plan, there's a countermeasure.

"Lord Xu, please wait."

A shrill scream came from behind me.

Xu Qi'an and Wei Yuan stopped and looked back. It was the old eunuch from Emperor Yuanjing's side who jogged up to them, holding a gold medal in his hand.

"This is a gold medal bestowed by His Majesty. Lord Xu may enter the palace to investigate cases at any time, but he must be accompanied by a palace attendant." The old eunuch presented the gold medal.

Xu Qi'an took it, weighed it in his hand, and thought it was quite heavy.

This gold medal is different from the gold medals he received before. There is an additional word "" on the front of the gold medal. It is a gold medal that can walk in the palace and is of a higher level.

"Thank you for your trouble, Father-in-law." Xu Qi'an bowed.

The old eunuch nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

"Please wait a moment, Father-in-law," Xu Qi'an called out to him again.

The old eunuch turned around to look.

"Your Majesty's grace is boundless. I shall begin my investigation today. Please assign me a servant," Xu Qi'an said.

The term "eunuch" is inaccurate; it refers to a status or position. (Note: The original text mentions "serving as an official," but this is not directly related to the previous sentence.)

The lowest-ranking officer is the one who eliminates all traces of the enemy.

The old eunuch appreciated Xu Qi'an's proactive work attitude, and his smile deepened. He asked, "If I may be so bold as to ask, where does Lord Xu intend to begin his investigation?"

Xu Qi'an grinned and said, "Let's start by investigating Princess Lin'an."

The old eunuch returned to the imperial study, and a moment later, a young eunuch rushed out and bowed to Wei Yuan and Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an nodded, escorted Wei Yuan to the palace gate, and then, accompanied by his servants, went to Princess Lin'an's Shaoyin Garden.

Shaoyin Garden.

In the desolate back garden, Lin'an sat in the pavilion, staring blankly at the still pond.

The water in the pool froze last night, but it is gradually melting under the warm sun, leaving only a few pieces of floating ice.

In just half a month, Lin'an had lost a lot of weight. Her once round, oval face now appeared somewhat thin, and her peach blossom eyes, which were originally bright and sparkling, now had a slightly misty quality, giving everyone she looked at a seductive gaze.

It lacks a certain spark now.

From childhood to adulthood, apart from being beaten by Huaiqing, she had always been carefree and had a smooth life.

Because Emperor Yuanjing began practicing Daoism early, although he had quite a few children, it wasn't a large number, so the power struggles between his princes and princesses weren't as intense.

In addition, her elder brother was the crown prince, and she herself was good at acting cute and charming, so she always had a smooth life.

But the series of bad news in the past few days has left her feeling depressed and severely impacted.

I just had a good cry with my mother today. The two of them were worried about the Crown Prince's future. After returning to Lin'an, I sat in the pavilion thinking about things.

If it were Huaiqing, she would be incredibly strong; she's the kind of woman who wouldn't be defeated by anything. Her brother, the Crown Prince, certainly wouldn't do such a thing, but who would frame him? The Fourth Prince, Huaiqing's elder brother?

This thought suddenly flashed through Lin'an's mind.

She wasn't as clever as Huaiqing, and she was bad at studying. Even when she had to be threatened with a bamboo stick to memorize the classics, the tutor would threaten her with it before she would reluctantly recite a few passages with tears in her eyes.

But she wasn't stupid. Assuming her brother, the Crown Prince, was innocent, she only needed to use her brain to consider who would benefit most if he were deposed.

Suspicious individuals immediately surfaced.

Upon thinking of this, Lin'an's eyes brightened slightly, and she began to rack her brains, coming up with many questions.

For example, how did the Fourth Prince secretly murder Consort Fu and frame his elder brother, the Crown Prince? For example, who were his accomplices? The Empress? Huaiqing?

etc.

Then, the more I thought about it, the more confused and disoriented I became, and I slapped my forehead in frustration.

"If he were still here, he could definitely solve the case in a flash," Lin'an stomped his foot angrily.

But the next moment, her face suddenly fell, her eyebrows drooped, and she lost her spirit.

But he's already gone.

"Your Highness, Your Highness."

A guard with a sword came running up quickly, stopped in the pavilion, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Xu Qi'an, the Xu Qi'an, requests an audience and is waiting in the front courtyard."

Lin'an's reaction was as if she had been struck with a stick; she was stunned for about three or four seconds. Then, she abruptly stood up, strode to the guard, and stared intently at him with her beautiful eyes.

"What did you say?"

"Xu Qi'an, the Xu Qi'an, requests an audience," the guard repeated.

Blood Qi rushed to his face, and Lin'an was enraged like never before. He forcefully drew the guard's sword, gritting his teeth as he said:

"You scoundrel, you dare to mock me? The Crown Prince hasn't even been deposed yet!"

The real reason for her outburst of rage was that the guards had attacked Xu Qi'an.

The guard quickly retreated, realizing it would be too unfair to be killed. As he retreated, he explained, "It really is Young Master Xu. Young Master Xu has arrived; he's in the front courtyard. Your Highness will recognize him at a glance."

Lin'an didn't even drop the knife in his hand before rushing to the front yard.

From afar, Xu Qi'an spotted Biao Biao, dressed in fiery red, and was startled when he saw her brandishing a knife and charging into battle with such a menacing air.

I thought to myself, "I barely escaped death, and you're planning to send me back, grandma?"

He immediately put away the trinkets he had given to Lin'an and hid behind the artificial hill.

Where is Xu Qi'an? Where is Xu Qi'an?

Lin'an, carrying her knife, looked around the front yard but couldn't see that familiar figure at all. Her bright eyes gradually dimmed.

"Your Highness, Lord Xu is behind the artificial hill," the eunuch on duty whispered.

Lin'an's peach blossom eyes lit up instantly, and she walked eagerly behind the artificial hill. Sure enough, she saw Xu Qi'an there.

She was stunned for a moment. The man in front of her was handsome and masculine, with arched eyebrows, bright and piercing eyes, a high nose, and sculpted lips.

Immediately afterwards, Lin'an was drawn to the two marionettes in Xu Qi'an's hands.

It was a man and a woman; the woman was dressed like a lady from a respectable family, and the man was a valiant general in armor.

Xu Qi'an coughed, manipulating the valiant general, and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, I have returned from having plastic surgery in Korea."

Then, he switched to a high-pitched voice and manipulated the woman. "Where is Korea?"

General Yingwu: "Oh, it's Yunzhou. I misspoke."

Woman: "Didn't you die in Yunzhou?"

The valiant general said, "I was originally dead, but my deep longing for Her Highness the Princess moved even the King of Hell, so I returned."

Woman: "Ugh, you're so annoying."

Lin'an found it amusing and chuckled, but suddenly felt a chill on her face. Unbeknownst to her, tears silently streamed down her cheeks.

Feeling embarrassed, she quickly turned around and explained, embarrassed and angry, "The wind was a bit strong today, and it stirred up sand that got in my eyes."

As a lively, spoiled, and affectionate girl, she's actually quite susceptible to this. However, due to her lack of romantic experience and poor ability to identify bad men, she exudes an aura that attracts them.

Of course, Xu Qi'an is definitely not a scumbag.

Xu Qi'an laughed and said, "That's strange, why does the sand only get into the princess's eyes? Could it be because the princess is beautiful?"

Upon being exposed, Lin'an angrily retorted, "You dog slave!"

"This humble servant is not a lackey."

"You're a lackey, a lackey named Xu Qi'an."

Damn Lin'an!

"Dog, dog what?" Princess Lin'an didn't know that "sun" was a verb.

"It's nothing." Xu Qi'an took advantage of her not understanding her hometown dialect.

"Were you just insulting me?" Lin'an asked sternly.

"No, that is my deepest expectation for the princess," Xu Qi'an replied earnestly.

Emerging from behind the artificial hill, Biao Biao returned the knife to the guard and led Xu Qi'an into the main hall. The servant followed behind, giving the second princess a strange look.

The second princess's beautiful, bright eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying.

After they were seated, palace maids served tea and snacks. Xu Qi'an waved his hand and said, "Young eunuch, you may leave now. I have some private matters to discuss with the princess."

The young eunuch hesitated.

"Get out! Get out!" The beautiful woman's eyebrows shot up, and she scolded, "I have something to say to Lord Xu. Who gave you permission to eavesdrop? Believe me or not, I'll drag you out and give you a hundred strokes of the cane."

The young eunuch had no choice but to take his leave.

"How did he get by your side? How did you come back alive? Didn't Huaiqing say you were dead?"

As she watched the young eunuch's back step across the threshold and disappear from sight, Biao Biao turned her gaze to Xu Qi'an, a smile spreading across her pretty face.

"He's here to monitor me." Xu Qi'an took a sip of hot tea and ate some pastries. He had been waiting in the Imperial Study for over an hour, missing lunch.

"As for how they survived, that's a long story."

He recounted the events of the Yunzhou case to Princess Lin'an, making slight alterations. Of course, alterations were not fabrications; Xu Qi'an merely embellished and highlighted his own role while downplaying the presence of others.

Lin'an loved listening to storytelling. At first, she was engrossed, and gradually she became immersed in the story. When she heard Xu Qi'an solve the riddle left by the spy Zhou Min after staying up all night, she slapped the table with her little hand and cheered loudly.

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, listening intently.

Xu Qi'an glanced at the princess's chest without making a sound, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Lin'an was still somewhat inferior to her elder sister.

Women who can't withstand pressure on a table are not good women.

Upon hearing that a female ghost had come to bewitch Xu Qi'an and his companions, two of his colleagues were unfortunately bewitched. However, Xu Qi'an remained unmoved by his own unwavering will. Biao Biao expressed her admiration and praised him, saying, "As expected of someone I value. When I first saw you, I knew you were no ordinary person."

Xu Qi'an thanked the princess for her discerning eye, but inwardly thought, "Didn't you only recruit me to compete with Huaiqing for his affections?"

Finally, Xu Qi'an began to recount how he faced thousands of soldiers alone, was surrounded by them, and endured a hail of arrows and a forest of spears, yet he did not retreat an inch, killed two hundred enemies, and finally held out until reinforcements arrived.

Biao Biao listened and burst into tears; her nose turned red from crying.

"Your Highness, you didn't see the scene. With just one roar, those thousand-odd rebels were terrified and fought me tooth and nail. If I hadn't been in a bad state at the time, none of them would have survived."

The woman nodded vigorously, clearly believing him.

After all, she had heard about Xu Qi'an's deeds from her elder brother before. Everyone said that Xu Qi'an died a heroic death, saving the governor and the Nightwatchers's office.

After boasting for a while, Xu Qi'an remembered his business and said, "By the way, I came to the palace this time on His Majesty's orders to thoroughly investigate the case of Consort Fu."

Biao Biao's eyes lit up, and she said happily, "I knew it! It's good that you're back. Your return will clear my brother the Crown Prince's name."

"I will serve the princess forever, even as a slave," Xu Qi'an said sincerely.

This boosted my positive impression of Lin'an.

"I have a few questions for the princess. What does Consort Fu look like?"

"Nature is extremely beautiful."

"Emperor Yuanjing is truly wasting a talent," Xu Qi'an thought to himself, then asked, "Crown Prince, are you lustful?"

"Of course I'm not lustful," Lin'an immediately denied, saying, "Besides the Crown Princess, my brother the Crown Prince has only sixteen concubines, secondary consorts, and other women in total."

"."

Xu Qi'an thought to himself, "I really am a good man, a good man is me, I am Xu Qi'an!"

Are there any precedents for causing trouble while intoxicated?

"No."

What kind of alcohol are you drinking?

"Bai Ri Chun, a wine for tonifying the kidneys and enhancing virility. It was sent to my mother by the Empress. Don't you think she framed me?" Lin An whispered.

Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment, then said, "I understand."

Lin'an was overjoyed and asked sweetly, "What do you understand? Xu Ningyan, have you solved the case?"

The Xu Residence.

Exhausted, Xu Erlang did not return to the academy immediately. Today was February 10th, and the imperial examination was in five days, so there was no need for him to return to the academy.

I'm staying home peacefully these past few days, waiting for the imperial examinations to begin.

After lunch, Xu Erlang helped his father, Xu Pingzhi, see off the Xu clan members. Exhausted, he had no desire to study and only wanted to go back to his room for a long sleep.

But Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, rushed in and said, "Erlang, a monk has come to the gate. He calls himself Hengyuan and wants to see you."

"Hengyuan?" Xu Erlang frowned, feeling that the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

He was a Confucian School disciple, did not believe in Buddhism, and had no connection with Buddhist School.

"He also said that he and you are acquaintances," the doorman, Old Zhang, added.

Xu Erlang chuckled and looked at Xu Pingzhi: "Father, they've probably come to perform a ritual because there's a funeral in our family. Please prepare some copper coins to send them away; I need to go back to my room to rest."

The gatekeeper, Old Zhang, took a tael of silver, walked out of the mansion gate, and handed the silver to the burly middle-aged monk, saying:

"Master, there's no need for any rituals at your residence. Please leave."

Master Hengyuan waved his hand, saying, "This humble monk is not here to beg for alms."

He honestly accepted the silver and said, "Second young master of the manor, are you really not going to see this humble monk?"

What happened to number three?

Although they had never met, he felt indebted to him for his repeated help and for his relationship with his cousin Xu Qi'an. No matter what, he should be allowed to see him and see Lord Xu one last time.

Hmm, he probably felt that his identity was still a secret, and that the monk hadn't realized his true identity, so he pretended not to recognize him?

Ah, you have truly underestimated this humble monk's wisdom.

Monk Hengyuan clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect, then stepped aside, took out a fragment of the Earth Book from his robes, and, using his finger as a pen, wrote, "Daoist Jinlian, could you please shield me from the others? I have something to say to Number Three."

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Update first, then revise.