Bringing Glory to the Ancestors

Today, Lord Xu brought me to inquire about the list of people entering and leaving the Imperial Pharmacy.

The young eunuch recounted the story in detail, going through the list step by step. Emperor Yuanjing remained silent, his gaze deep and thoughtful, it was unclear whether he was listening attentively or lost in thought.

"The last person on the list is the head maid of the Imperial Concubine Jingxiu Palace. Lord Xu and his servants went to inquire about her, but were turned away."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanjing's fixed gaze shifted, as if his attention had been drawn back slightly.

Left with no other option, Lord Xu went to Shaoyin Palace to seek help from Prince Lin'an.

The young eunuch recalled Xu Qi'an's instructions and said naturally, "After questioning Lang'er of Jingxiu Palace, Lord Xu's expression turned extremely ugly. He seemed unwilling to stay any longer and left in a hurry with me without even having tea."

"But before they could leave Jingxiu Palace, Lang'er came back out, saying that the Imperial Concubine had invited Lord Xu to her courtyard for a chat, to thank him for solving the case of Consort Fu. Lord Xu was originally unwilling to go, but Lang'er insisted that he stay." The young eunuch paused for a moment, then continued:

"Afterwards, the Imperial Concubine dismissed everyone, and even servants were not allowed to enter the room; they could only wait in the courtyard."

"Slow!"

Emperor Yuanjing's eyes regained their sparkle. He interrupted the young eunuch, stared at him, pondered for a few seconds, and slowly said, "Dismiss everyone?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

What did they say in the yard?

The young eunuch said, "They're too far away, I can't hear them clearly. I can only watch from afar as Lord Xu and the Imperial Concubine talk inside."

Emperor Yuanjing pressed his right hand to his lips, feigning deep thought, and suddenly said, "You just said that Xu Qi'an's expression turned extremely unpleasant after questioning Lang'er?"

Before the young eunuch could reply, the old eunuch's expression changed slightly, and he scolded, "You scoundrel, how have I been teaching you?"

When reporting, never let subjective emotions interfere, never try to mislead His Majesty, and always be fair and objective.

Emperor Yuanjing raised his hand, interrupting the angry old eunuch.

Seeing this, the young eunuch gained some confidence. "It really is very ugly."

Emperor Yuanjing nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "Xu Qi'an wanted to leave, but Lang'er insisted on staying?"

". Yes."

The young eunuch noticed a change in Emperor Yuanjing's attitude and cautiously said, "Lord Xu said that he was investigating the case on imperial orders, and it was his duty. Your Majesty, there is no need to thank him."

"Lang'er said that if Lord Xu doesn't go to see the Empress, he won't be able to leave Jingxiu Palace."

Upon hearing this, a glint seemed to flash in Emperor Yuanjing's eyes. This time, he pondered for a long time. The palace was eerily quiet. The two eunuchs, one old and one young, held their breath, afraid of disturbing the unfathomable emperor.

Finally, Emperor Yuanjing slowly spoke, "How was Xu Qi'an's mood when he left?"

Xu Qi'an had given this instruction before leaving, but the young eunuch didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pretended to think for a moment before saying:

"Lord Xu left the palace with a heavy heart."

To increase credibility, he added, "In the past, when Lord Xu left the palace, he would chat with me for a few words, his face beaming, but today is quite different; he hasn't uttered a single word."

Emperor Yuanjing waved his hand.

"Step down," the old eunuch said immediately.

After the young eunuch left the palace, Emperor Yuanjing sat silently for a long time before saying, "Go, bring Lang'er from Jingxiu Palace to me."

The old eunuch responded and slowly withdrew from the palace.

The old eunuch, accompanied by a group of guards, passed through layers of palace walls in the afterglow of the setting sun and arrived at Jingxiu Palace.

The eunuch guarding the gate recognized him from afar as the emperor's chief attendant and went to greet him, saying, "Please wait a moment, sir, I will go and inform the Imperial Concubine."

"We're in a hurry." The old eunuch slapped him away and led the guards into the courtyard. After passing through the front yard, they heard cries coming from the inner courtyard.

The old eunuch stood in the inner courtyard and called out loudly, "Your Highness, this old servant requests an audience."

A palace maid with slightly red eyes came out of Consort Chen's room and said softly, "Your Highness invites you in."

The old eunuch followed the palace maid into the room and saw Consort Chen sitting on a large chair, holding a silk handkerchief in her hand, wiping her eyes from time to time, her face full of sorrow.

"What's wrong with Your Highness?" the old eunuch asked in surprise.

"One of my servants suddenly fell ill and passed away. The imperial physicians couldn't save him," Consort Chen said sadly.

The old eunuch comforted her, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. What was the maid's name?"

"Lang'er."

"!!!" The old eunuch's expression froze.

"What brings you to my Jingxiu Palace, my lord?" Consort Chen asked softly.

The old eunuch forced a smile. "His Majesty sent this old servant to inquire after Her Majesty's well-being. His Majesty knows that Her Majesty has been living in fear these past few days."

Consort Chen turned her head away and said in a mournful voice, "Your Majesty, can't you even grant me a glimpse of yourself?"

The old eunuch chuckled dryly, offering no comment on the concubine's complaints.

He chatted with the Imperial Concubine for a few moments, then casually remarked, "Is Lang'er not very old?"

Although Lang'er was an old servant of Jingxiu Palace, Emperor Yuanjing had not visited any of his concubines for more than ten or twenty years, so the old eunuch had little recollection of this unfortunate and prematurely deceased personal maid.

"A poor child." Consort Chen's face showed sorrow.

The old eunuch readily agreed, "Let's go take a look at it."

He also had another identity, namely the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department, who was in charge of the palace eunuchs and maids. However, this identity was an honorary title that he held as Emperor Yuanjing's chief attendant.

The deputy chief manager is the one in real power.

After all, the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department was extremely busy and could not possibly be by the emperor's side at all times.

After bidding farewell to Consort Chen, the old eunuch, led by a palace maid, entered the south wing and saw Lang'er lying on the bed, her face deathly pale.

"Has the imperial physician been summoned to examine you?"

"Your Excellency, I have examined him. The imperial physician said it's a brain condition, and there's no cure."

The old eunuch stared at Lang'er for a long time before ordering, "Leave her to me."

He ordered his guards to take away Lang'er's body and hurriedly returned to report.

Upon returning to Emperor Yuanjing's palace, the old emperor remained seated behind a large table covered with bright yellow silk, staring expressionlessly toward the gate.

He didn't react when the old eunuch stepped over the threshold and entered the room.

"Your Majesty, Lang'er is dead," the old eunuch whispered.

A long, long time later, Emperor Yuanjing hummed in agreement. This emperor, who had stood at the pinnacle of power for half a century, showed neither joy nor sorrow.

The following day, Emperor Yuanjing convened another court assembly. In the dim light, civil and military officials entered the Meridian Gate in an orderly manner. Some stayed in the square outside the Golden Palace, while others stood on the white marble steps outside the Golden Palace.

Only a very small number of people entered the main hall. In the storyteller's words, these people were collectively referred to as: the high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

After the courtiers entered the hall, Emperor Yuanjing emerged from behind the hall a quarter of an hour later and sat on his dragon throne.

After the emperor and his ministers had finished their normal exchange of greetings, the Minister of Ministry of Justice stepped forward and announced in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, the three judicial departments have completed their verification and confirmed that the Empress is indeed the mastermind behind the Consort Fu case."

"Shangguan is unworthy of her position, she plotted against the empress and framed the crown prince. I beg Your Majesty to punish her severely."

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review immediately stepped forward to second the motion.

Inside the hall, civil and military officials, as well as some nobles, all echoed the sentiment, creating a chorus of voices.

This means that they had already reached an agreement yesterday. Deposing the empress is not the same as deposing the crown prince, which is a matter of national importance. Deposing the empress is merely a family matter for the emperor. As long as there is a reasonable and evidence-based proof that the empress has indeed lost her virtue, rather than the emperor being fickle, then the officials have no reason or need to stop it.

The only issue related to the deposed empress was the identity of the fourth prince. It should be noted that the fourth prince was Emperor Yuanjing's only legitimate son, and many people placed their hopes on him.

Those who did not second the motion were the Fourth Prince's faction.

Before Emperor Yuanjing could express his opinion, Wei Yuan stepped forward, and the hall immediately fell silent.

"Your Majesty, there are other secrets behind the Consort Fu case. The Empress was not the mastermind. The real mastermind is Huang Xiaorou. She killed Consort Fu and then tricked the Crown Prince into going to Qingfeng Palace, fabricating this case."

Wei Yuan had just finished speaking when a professional troll jumped out to refute him:

"Nonsense! How could a mere palace maid commit such a shocking crime? Besides, why would Huang Xiaorou frame the Crown Prince? Wei Yuan, what do you take His Majesty for, and what do you take the officials of the court for?"

After saying that, he added, "Your Majesty, please execute this scoundrel."

The other ministers rebuked Wei Yuan, and the hall fell into chaos.

The old eunuch gripped his whip, lashed it out with a sharp crack, and shouted, "Silence!"

The hall then quieted down.

The Minister of Ministry of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review looked at Wei Yuan with cold smiles. The other officials also looked at Wei Yuan, some with cold smiles, some with mockery, and some with incomprehension and helplessness. The latter was from the Fourth Prince's faction.

Ignoring the stares and shouts of the censors around him, Wei Yuan said, "Yesterday, Xu Qi'an, the officer in charge of the Fufei case, discovered that Huang Xiaorou had been pregnant before."

Before he could finish speaking, another uproar erupted in the hall.

Palace maid Huang Xiaorou was pregnant?!

Aside from the palace guards, the only person who could truly impregnate a woman in the palace was Emperor Yuanjing. Of course, it was impossible for the guards; those who guarded the harem were all elites selected from among the most loyal to the royal family.

Moreover, they were usually in groups of several people, supervising each other, so there was no possibility of them having an affair with a palace maid.

Then there's only one possibility.

For a moment, the way the officials in the imperial court looked at Emperor Yuanjing became more subtle and suggestive.

Emperor Yuanjing's majestic face twitched slightly. He coldly observed Wei Yuan, who was deliberately pausing to speak, and said in a deep voice:

"Wei Yuan, continue!"

Wei Yuan slowly said, "After investigation, it was discovered that the person who caused Huang Xiaorou to lose her virginity and become pregnant was Shangguan Ming, the emperor's brother-in-law."

Next, Wei Yuan told the court officials a story, a story he embellished:

Palace maid Huang Xiaorou was humiliated by the emperor's brother-in-law and became pregnant. She secretly miscarried afterwards, so she harbored resentment and endured it for many years, finally brewing a conspiracy.

Taking advantage of her position as Consort Fu's personal maid, she secretly damaged the railing of the watchtower and, while Consort Fu was drunk, tricked the Crown Prince into going to Qingfeng Palace, setting up the most shocking scheme in the harem in over a decade.

After hearing about the case of Consort Fu, the emperor's brother-in-law discovered that Huang Xiaorou was implicated. Fearing that his beastly behavior would be exposed, he sought help from Fengqi Palace.

Only then did the Empress learn that the Imperial Brother-in-law had committed such a heinous act. Out of consideration for their blood ties, she tearfully took the blame for him.

Finally, Wei Yuan summarized the case. "That's how it happened. The Imperial Uncle has confessed. Your Majesty can interrogate him at any time."

"Absurd." The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review sneered, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, as far as I know, Huang Xiaorou was murdered. If she orchestrated everything, then where is the murderer?"

The courtiers echoed their agreement.

Wei Yuan explained without changing his expression, "Huang Xiaorou has accomplices who helped her plot against the Crown Prince, implicitly targeting the Empress."

Upon hearing this, many ministers were struck by a thought and began to make their own connections.

If it weren't for the fact that the Empress's brother-in-law had defiled Huang Xiaorou, everyone would have thought that the Empress only confessed because the evidence was conclusive.

But after the emperor's brother-in-law confessed, the case took an unexpected turn.

Whether the Empress is innocent or not is another matter, but with the Imperial Brother-in-law's confession, there's room for further discussion.

The Fourth Prince's faction, having shaken off its previous slump, stepped forward one after another to speak out, expressing their support for Wei Yuan and condemning the Emperor's brother-in-law.

Gradually, only two voices remained in the hall: a heated debate between the Crown Prince's faction and the Fourth Prince's faction. The Fourth Prince's faction was led by the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, while the Crown Prince's faction was composed of various small, disorganized factions.

Among the major political parties, there may be those who secretly support the crown prince, but they will never come out into the open; the big turtle will always remain hidden underwater.

After a heated argument, Wei Yuan said loudly, "Your Majesty, please make the decision."

The arguing ceased, and the courtiers echoed, "We beseech Your Majesty to make the decision."

Wei Yuan's memorial had already been submitted to the palace yesterday. Usually, memorials for court meetings would be submitted to the palace a day in advance, so Emperor Yuanjing had already read the Imperial Brother-in-law's confession.

Today's court meeting will determine whether Emperor Yuanjing wants to conclude the case of Consort Fu or not. If he does not wish to, he will order a further investigation.

Seeing that the ministers had stopped arguing, Emperor Yuanjing finally spoke, saying slowly, "Shangguan Ming has caused chaos in the inner palace and is sentenced to immediate execution! The Empress knew about it but did not report it, and is guilty of the same crime. However, considering the bond of blood, her actions are understandable. She is hereby ordered to reflect on her actions in seclusion for three months."

The courtiers thought that was the end of it, but Emperor Yuanjing paused and continued, "The Crown Prince, drunk, stormed into Qingfeng Palace, showing no restraint. He is ordered to reflect on his actions within the palace walls for six months. Consort Chen encouraged the Crown Prince to get drunk, leading to this disaster; she is demoted to Consort Chen."

The hall was completely silent.

The courtiers looked around in bewilderment, unable to understand why the Empress, who was involved in the case, had to reflect on her actions for three months, and the Crown Prince for half a year. Meanwhile, Consort Chen, who was completely unrelated to the case, was demoted from Consort to Consort Chen, a drop of two ranks.

"Could this case be related to Consort Chen?" the seasoned veterans wondered.

The court assembly had just ended, and not long after, the old eunuch went to Fengqi Palace and Jingxiu Palace respectively to deliver imperial edicts.

Upon learning this, the Empress buried her face in her hands and wept bitterly.

Consort Chen accepted the imperial decree with a stiff expression. As soon as the old eunuch left, she swept all the decorations on the table, including the imperial decree, to the ground.

Amidst the clanging and banging sounds, Consort Chen's high, firm breasts heaved violently, and her dignified oval face turned ashen with anger.

She gritted her teeth and spat out, "Wei Yuan."

Then, clenching her fist, she said, word by word, "Xu Qi'an!"

By this time, she realized that His Majesty's drastic change in attitude was definitely related to yesterday.

The old eunuch came by without any apparent reason yesterday, ostensibly to offer condolences, which was not a problem in itself. However, considering the changes in the court today, it's not hard to guess the ulterior motives behind it.

His Majesty has become suspicious of her.

She had only revealed herself to Xu Qi'an, so it can be inferred that the scoundrel must have used some trick in secret.

All that painstaking planning turned out to be thwarted by a mere copper gong.

A few minutes later, the sounds of clattering and banging came from inside the house again, and the palace maids and servants in the courtyard fell silent.

The day after the Fufei case ended, Xu Qi'an finally found his beloved mare.

This is a horse with a tragic fate. It had just escaped with its life that day, but after being chased away by its owner, it ran and ran until it was encountered by the Imperial Saber Guard patrolling the city.

Upon seeing the mark on the horse's rump, the Imperial Saber Guard thought, "Isn't this our horse?" So they took it back to the guard camp.

This horse was indeed a military horse used exclusively by the Imperial Saber Guard. My second uncle acquired it at a low price through his connections. After riding it for only a few years, he gave it to his nephew.

Subsequently, the Nightwatchers's office learned from the Imperial Saber Guard on duty in the area that a horse had indeed been "found," and following the clues, they found Xu Qi'an's beloved mare.

That morning, Xu Qi'an was having breakfast with his family in the living room.

Little Douding is off school today and is extremely happy that she doesn't have to go to school. She ate her breakfast with great relish.

"Taking a day off like you've struck gold, I've never had a daughter as stupid as you in my entire life," the aunt said disdainfully.

"You only have two daughters in total." Second Uncle Xu spoke up for his youngest daughter, but he didn't dare to openly argue with his aunt, so he could only subtly challenge her.

"You still have the nerve to say that? Lingyin is so stupid because she inherited it from you."

Sure enough, her aunt repeated her Xu Lingyin, blaming her second uncle for Xu Lingyin's lack of Aperture Opening.

"But I just don't want to study," Xu Lingyin said, feeling wronged.

"Lingyin, you're not stupid, don't listen to your mother's nonsense." Xu Qi'an stroked her head, remembering a method his teacher had taught him in his past life.

"Whenever you don't feel like studying, just imagine there are two people in your head."

"Huh? There's someone in my head!" Xu Lingyin exclaimed in surprise, covering her head with her chubby hands.

"Imagine, elder brother, you mean imagine." Xu Qi'an took a deep breath and said gently, "If one little person doesn't want to study, then another little person will say: I like studying, I like studying."

"If you continue like this, you'll come to enjoy reading."

"Self-suggestion!" Xu Xinnian nodded slightly and commented, "It works well. When I used to study late into the night and got really sleepy, I would tell myself I didn't want to sleep, and it worked quite well."

Upon hearing that her own son was backing her up, the aunt immediately became hopeful about her nephew's method and said, "Lingyin, why don't you give it a try?"

The silly Xu Lingyin tilted her head and thought for a long time before slowly nodding.

"How is she?" the aunt asked hurriedly, though she was most concerned about this young girl.

"A little voice in my head said, 'I don't want to study, I don't want to study.' Another little voice said, 'Okay, okay.'"

"..." The aunt put her hand to her forehead.

"Perhaps she really isn't suited for studying, Auntie, don't force her," Xu Qi'an comforted her.

"The imperial examination is the day after tomorrow, isn't it?" my second uncle suddenly said.

"Yes!" Xu Xinnian nodded steadily.

The aunt immediately peeled a hard-boiled egg for her son and said, "With Erlang's knowledge, passing the imperial examination is a piece of cake. Master, the time has come for the Xu Household to bring glory to our ancestors."

Although Xu Qi'an is now highly regarded by Wei Yuan and has also made connections with the princess, he is ultimately just a warrior.

In an era where all other pursuits are considered inferior except for studying, passing the imperial examinations was the only way to bring glory to one's ancestors.

Even Xu Lingyue, who favored her eldest brother, agreed with her mother's view that the fate of the Xu Household depended on her second brother's performance in the imperial examination.

"Second brother, whether our Xu Household can rise to the ranks of the literati depends on you." Xu Lingyue smiled as she served food to her Erlang.

Xu Xinnian arrogantly raised his chin.

Feeling cold and shivering, Xu Qi'an thought to himself, "When will martial artists be able to stand up again? Will this world ever get better? Discrimination against martial artists is everywhere."

Recalling my conversation with Wei Yuan the other day, I learned that the martial arts system has been perfected and passed down through generations, leading to the current nine ranks. But even now, the martial arts system has not yet come to an end.

The path beyond the established order has not yet been explored.

Therefore, the martial arts system does not have the existence of martial gods.

"Logically, it shouldn't be like this. The martial arts system has the most people, and with such a large base, there will always be geniuses emerging. Over generations, it's impossible for a martial god not to appear. But forget it, it's too early to think about that. I'll be happy if I can reach the fourth rank in my lifetime."

After finishing breakfast, my second uncle, helmet in hand and sword in hand, was about to head out.

"Wait, Second Uncle, you are the elder in the family, you should stay home today," Xu Qi'an called out to him.

Second Uncle Xu turned around blankly, "Is today a holiday?"

Aunt shook her head.

Xu Lingyue and Xu Xinnian looked at Xu Qi'an blankly.

Xu Qi'an looked at his aunt, raising his chin proudly, "Today isn't a holiday, but it's a day for the Xu Household to bring glory to its ancestors."

P. S.: I'm not feeling well today, so this is a bit shorter. The next storyline starts tomorrow, um, it's not a case.

Update first, then revise.