Number Four: Both brothers were fine-looking men

"Is Fuxiang your lover from the Imperial Academy of Music?" Zhong Li asked.

Xu Qi'an asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

Zhong Li nodded, bowed slightly, and walked slowly. "If we weren't closely related, why would she ask me to see a doctor? And you are a person of great fortune; you won't be like those men, a mere courtesan's lackey."

Fifth Senior Sister, you have the potential to be a detective! Xu Qi'an hummed in agreement. "This Fuxiang is my confidante. When I was young, I was exceptionally talented and had a photographic memory. I was a natural scholar."

"But my second uncle planned my life early on, so that Great Feng missed out on a great master of poetry. That year I was fourteen years old, and I took my cousin to a literary gathering organized by the scholars of the Imperial Academy. That day, it was raining and snowing. You know what a literary gathering is? It's a gathering for academic exchange, and some female musicians from the Imperial Academy of Music a type of entertainment institution) would be invited to play music to entertain. Fuxiang was among them."

"I made a name for myself at the literary gathering, and everyone praised my poetry. It was at that gathering that Fuxiang fell deeply in love with me, and from then on we corresponded frequently, embarking on a Platonic love affair. Platonic love is a spiritual love, absolutely devoid of any vulgar physical intimacy."

Zhong Li interrupted her calmly, "Why are you telling me all this?"

Promise me you won't tell Caiwei.

"Oh."

Zhong Li turned to look at him for a moment, then looked away and continued walking. As they approached the Shadow Plum Pavilion, she said, "I know the Qi-Watching Technique."

"."

Before he even reached Yingmei Pavilion, Xu Qi'an could already hear the sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments.

"Huh, Yingmei Pavilion is having tea so early today?" He led Zhong Li to the courtyard gate and saw that the two black lacquered gates were closed, with the sound of drums and music coming from inside.

Bang, bang, bang. Xu Qi'an knocked on the courtyard gate.

"The Shadow Plum Pavilion has been booked out." A servant in blue robes called from inside the door.

"It's me," Xu Qi'an said.

The courtyard gate opened, and the young servant in blue beamed with joy, saying repeatedly, "Young Master Xu, you've finally arrived! Tonight, the Imperial Academy of Music has a very important guest; he's inside."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qi'an frowned. "An extraordinary guest?"

In Xu Qi'an's view, Principal Third Rank or above were considered extraordinary, but officials of this rank and status basically did not come to the Imperial Academy of Music).

The officials in the imperial court have their own set of standards and prestige.

"Yes, as soon as Imperial Academy of Music, they went straight to Yingmei Pavilion, saying they wanted to see our lady's zither playing. Our lady originally didn't intend to accompany them for drinks, so she politely declined." The young servant in blue chuckled and said mysteriously.

Guess what?

Xu Qi'an glared at him, and he answered honestly, "Mother personally intervened and talked with Fuxiang behind closed doors for a long time. I don't know what they talked about, but my wife had no choice but to reluctantly come out and perform a song."

"Most incredibly, twelve of the most beautiful courtesans from the Imperial Academy of Music arrived uninvited."

Xu Qi'an was taken aback, thinking to himself that even that old codger Wang, the chief minister, didn't receive this kind of treatment.

Of course, Old Wang was getting on in years and probably didn't have the time or energy to seek pleasure at the Imperial Academy of Music.

"Impressive! I never imagined there was such a figure in the capital. No, the Imperial Academy of Music must remain my exclusive domain; I must go and meet this guy."

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an nodded without changing his expression. "Take me to see him."

At this moment, in the hall where guests were being entertained with drinks, Fuxiang sat in the center, head bowed, playing the zither. Her gentle and beautiful demeanor was captivating and enchanting.

She possessed a unique elegance when playing the zither, unlike the courtesan from Imperial Academy of Music, but rather a refined young lady from a prominent family awaiting marriage.

The patrons sat in rows at the tables, and apart from the man in the blue robe with a wisp of white hair on his forehead, each of the other guests was accompanied by a courtesan.

As the song ended, Fuxiang rose gracefully, bowed, and said, "You flatter me."

"Lady Fuxiang is too modest. In the capital's Imperial Academy of Music, there are almost no ones who can rival you in musical skill," a man with a goatee and dressed in casual clothes said with a smile.

"Please take a seat, our great hero Chu is waiting," another portly man chimed in.

The patrons present started to cheer.

Some even went so far as to say, "Ever since that poem about plum blossoms, Lady Fuxiang has stopped serving drinks. But now that Brother Chu is back, things are different. Lady Fuxiang, don't keep Brother Chu waiting."

Fuxiang's eyes sparkled as she swept over the group of drinkers. These people were all of noble status; they were either powerful officials in the Six Ministries, or junior scholars in the Hanlin Academy, or censors in the Censorate.

The disheveled man in the blue robe was no ordinary person; he was the top scholar in the imperial examination of the twenty-seventh year of the Yuanjing era and is now the number one swordsman in the capital.

He satisfied both the desires of the women in the Imperial Academy of Music for talented men and beautiful women, and their fantasies about chivalrous heroes, thus possessing a double aura. Therefore, as soon as news of his arrival at the Imperial Academy of Music spread, twelve courtesans came uninvited and offered to drink with him.

"Please forgive me, gentlemen, but I am not feeling well and should not drink today." Fuxiang smiled demurely and went to an empty wine table.

Several officials frowned, displeased.

Although Fuxiang's fame has spread far and wide, no longer limited to the Imperial Academy of Music of the capital, she is far too arrogant. It's just that she's asked to accompany someone for drinks; it's not like they're going to do anything to her.

The swordsman in the green robe, on the contrary, smiled nonchalantly and didn't take it to heart.

The guests present were all Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) who had graduated in the 27th year of the Yuanjing era. They had a very good relationship with him. They came to the Imperial Academy of Music) to drink, firstly to reminisce about old times, and secondly to see Fuxiang, the most famous courtesan in the Great Feng.

In Chu Zhuangyuan's opinion, appearance was secondary; what he truly admired was this reserved and introverted temperament.

Mingyan glanced around, then flashed a bright smile and said to warm things up, "Our Lady Fuxiang has stopped serving drinks ever since she became involved with Lord Xu. She's still waiting for Lord Xu to redeem her, so gentlemen, please don't make things difficult for her."

Although everyone present was a powerful official, they were all juniors in front of the Nightwatchers. In front of Xu Qi'an, the Nightwatchers who had just been granted a title, he was the junior among juniors.

Sure enough, the drinkers suppressed their displeasure and lowered their heads to drink.

Scholar Chu raised an eyebrow. "Lord Xu? Which Lord Xu?"

For some reason, he is sensitive about the surname "Xu".

At the same time, I recalled something that Number One had said when Number Two asked Number One about information on a Mr. Xu, a gong player, in the Earth Book chat group:

This man's greatest weakness is his lust; he had affairs with many of the most beautiful courtesans in the Imperial Academy of Music.

Then, he contacted Number Three, whom he had just met but who pretended not to know. Number Three had a cousin with outstanding poetic talent, the one who wrote "A faint fragrance drifts in the twilight," which made Fuxiang famous.

Mingyan waited a moment, and seeing that no one answered first, he smiled and said, "Speaking of that Lord Xu, he is truly an incredible figure. He rose to prominence in the tax silver case last October."

She went on and on, recounting Xu Qi'an's deeds as if they were her most treasured possessions.

"In Yunzhou, he stood alone against eight thousand enemy soldiers with only a sword, fighting single-handedly for half an hour."

The courtesans of the Imperial Academy of Music had heard this story many times, but they still listened with great interest and longed to hear it.

Fuxiang, somewhat proud and smug, raised her chin and said softly, "When Xu Lang was exhausted, he faced thousands of enemy soldiers."

Seeing this, another courtesan, Xiaoya, quickly took over the conversation, saying crisply, "Young chivalry, befriending heroes from five capitals. Hearts and souls intertwined, hair standing on end. In a single conversation, life and death are shared. A promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold."

"Great word!"

Scholar Chu praised loudly, but at the same time a question flashed through his mind:

Didn't Number Two say that the rebel army besieging the Provincial Administration Commission numbered over four hundred, and that Xu Qi'an killed two hundred enemies before dying from exhaustion? How did it become eight thousand?

One official remarked, "It is indeed a fine poem. Such talent is wasted on him; it's a pity he doesn't study. Xu Pingzhi is a disgrace to his family."

The other drinkers nodded in agreement, adding, "It's a pity Xu Qi'an didn't come to the Imperial Academy of Music today, otherwise we would have shown him the talent of our top scholar."

Upon hearing this, a series of "?" flashed through Chu Zhuangyuan's mind.

Xu Qi'an died in battle in Yunzhou, and more than a month has passed. It's impossible that the capital city hasn't received the news.

Just then, Fuxiang cried out in delighted joy, "Xu Lang!"

The servant in blue led Xu Qi'an into the courtyard and towards the main hall, saying, "It's not that I'm causing trouble, but that gentleman is much more popular than you."

"I asked the ladies in the courtyard, and wow, this gentleman is a legendary figure. He was the top scholar in the imperial examination in the twenty-seventh year of the Yuan Dynasty, but later, for some reason, he resigned from his official post and became a wandering swordsman."

"He then distinguished himself greatly, earning a great reputation in the capital and being hailed by Duke Wei as the number one swordsman in the capital."

Xu Qi'an stopped abruptly, thinking, "Holy crap, Number Four is inside?"

What's going on with all these top scholars from the Great Feng Dynasty? Are they all Imperial Academy of Music?

Number Four knows I am Cijiu's cousin, and knows I have died in Yunzhou. Now that he sees I am still alive, he will mention it in the Earth Book chat group. Li Miaozhen will then remember how she was led into social death by "Number Three". Xu Qi'an never expected that social death would come so quickly.

"Xu Lang!"

Amidst Fuxiang's joyful exclamations, Xu Qi'an realized that social death was coming faster than he had imagined.

In the hall, the patrons and courtesans all turned around, their gazes falling on him.

Given the current tense situation between Number Four and Number Two, they probably won't initiate a conversation. It's best to play it safe. Xu Qi'an instantly suppressed all his emotions, stepped into the hall with a smile, and bowed:

"I apologize for disturbing you all."

The officials present all smiled and greeted him warmly as "Viscount," inviting him to take a seat, as if they were very familiar with Xu Qi'an.

The courtesans were mostly surprised.

"Xu Lang."

Fuxiang smiled radiantly, led him to a seat, and poured him wine with great attentiveness.

As Xu Qi'an took his seat, he glanced back and noticed that Zhong Li was gone.

She must be hiding somewhere. Hopefully, she's not too far away, or the Imperial Academy of Music might be burned down tonight. Thinking this, Xu Qi'an looked at Number Four and openly scrutinized him.

Number Four was a handsome young man, with a strand of white hair on his forehead adding to his charm. He exuded a carefree and unassuming air, without any sharp edges.

Scholar Chu was also scrutinizing Xu Qi'an. Putting everything else aside, just based on his appearance alone, he believed that the Nightwatchers in front of him was Number Three's cousin.

Both brothers were handsome and dashing.

How did he survive? The top scholar Chu nodded and said, "Chu Yuanzhen, courtesy name Zizhen."

Xu Qi'an cupped his hands in greeting. "Xu Qi'an, courtesy name Ningyan."

Next, they played drinking games. The literary and artistic courtesan Xiaoya was in charge of being the game master. They had a great time, playing everything from matching couplets to reciting poems.

The only regret was that Xu Qi'an didn't participate, but instead had Fuxiang do it for him, while he just drank and ate meat.

Xu Qi'an had come to the Imperial Academy of Music to visit Fuxiang. Seeing her looking energetic and with a rosy complexion, he finally believed that it was just a minor cold and that he had been worrying unnecessarily.

"Such a beautiful day and scenery, Lord Xu, are you really not going to compose a poem?" An official, unwilling to give up, urged Xu Qi'an to write a poem.

Xu Qi'an declined, citing a lack of inspiration.

Not only were the officials present disappointed, but the courtesans were also filled with regret.

Actually, it wasn't that he didn't want to write poetry, but rather that he hadn't thought about when to write poetry.

Today, Wei Yuan gave him a task: to mediate and prevent Number Four and Number Two from fighting to the death, and to make them stop fighting when they have a chance to exchange blows.

Therefore, he needs to raise his favorability with Number Four first.

"Brother Chu, I heard from my colleagues in the government office yesterday that Li Miaozhen, a disciple of the Heavenly Sect, is about to go to the capital because of the impending battle between Celestial Person and Man. And you are a sword cultivator from the Human Sect." Xu Qi'an paused, not continuing, but the implication was clear.

Number Four, Chu Yuanzhen, smiled and said, "I will represent the Human Sect and fight against the disciples of the Heavenly Sect."

He knew Xu Qi'an inside and out. Xu Qi'an had befriended Li Miaozhen in Yunzhou and was also a trusted subordinate of Wei Yuan. It was not surprising that he knew these inside stories.

Xu Qi'an glanced at the long sword leaning against the wine table and asked curiously, "May I see the sharpness of this sword?"

Chu Yuanzhen shook his head. "Ever since my defeat at the hands of Zhang Kaitai, this sword has never been drawn again."

"That's it, the sword's rusted to death in its scabbard," Xu Qi'an blurted out.

"What?" Number Four was taken aback.

"What I mean is, why isn't the sword drawn?"

Chu Yuanzhen smiled gently, without any airs, and answered every question, "I am cultivating my Sword Qi. When this sword is drawn, it is nothing; but when it is drawn, its sharpness is boundless."

Xu Qi'an nodded slowly, then suddenly had an inspiration. He held his wine glass, frowned, and pretended to be deep in thought.

"What's wrong?" Number Four asked.

Xu Qi'an said leisurely, "Previously, I was at a loss for words and couldn't write a good poem, but after listening to Brother Chu's words, my inspiration suddenly flowed, and I couldn't help but want to compose a poem."

The patrons and courtesans' eyes lit up instantly, staring intently at him.

Number Four was somewhat surprised and delighted, and straightened his posture, saying, "I'm all ears."

PS: I finished writing this before midnight, I'll update it first and then revise it later.