Schemes and intrigue (extended chapter)

Huaiqing wants to see me too?! Hmm, given my relationship with the two princesses, after the duel, it's only right that I see them. But should I see Huaiqing first, or Lin'an first?

After a moment's thought, Xu Qi'an had his answer: See Huaiqing first.

His choice was not without reason; it wasn't that he cared more about Huaiqing and less about Lin'an. Xu Qi'an's choice was closely related to the intelligence of the two princesses.

Huaiqing is too clever to be fooled, and he's also very shrewd. He might harbor resentment towards you but won't show it, and he might just try to trick you at any time.

Lin'an is relatively simple-minded. She is spoiled and willful, and often makes unreasonable demands, but she doesn't hold grudges and forgives things as soon as she finishes her tantrum.

"Very well, I will accompany you to the palace."

Xu Qi'an sent a clerk to Haoqi Tower to deliver the memorial, while he himself rode into the palace with his guards.

After completing the necessary procedures, Xu Qi'an stepped into Dexinyuan and met Huaiqing in the elegant and clean hall. She was wearing a white palace dress that suited her personality, and her hair was simply tied up with a gold hairpin, with strands of black hair hanging down.

She was as ethereal and aloof as a fairy in a painting.

Her long, flowing black hair added a touch of languid, down-to-earth charm to her.

"Are you alright?" Huaiqing smiled faintly.

"It's nothing serious. I'm as strong as an ox. This little injury will be fine after a good night's sleep," Xu Qi'an said with a smile.

Huaiqing nodded with relief, invited him to sit down, and said, "The court will surely reward you for winning this contest. However, while it is easy to be promoted, it is difficult to be granted a title."

"If Lord Xu is not short of money, he can make a request to the Emperor. This would then secure Xu Cijiu's future."

Whoever marries Huaiqing in the future will be like Liu Bei marrying Zhuge Liang! Xu Qi'an thought to himself with emotion.

That's definitely a brilliant idea.

We should be willing to sacrifice some of our own interests to secure Erlang's future and pave the way for our younger brother's path to becoming the Grand Secretary.

"This humble servant has already requested the imperial edict and certificate from His Majesty," Xu Qi'an said regretfully.

"An iron certificate?" Huaiqing frowned slightly and said, "What do you need this for? Although it can sometimes have miraculous effects, it can also be completely useless."

What she meant was that the emperor held the power to interpret this thing, and since Emperor Yuanjing had no credibility, it was useless. To put it bluntly, the imperial edict was like the credit paper money of my past life; if the government had credibility, the money was valuable, and if the government didn't, the money was just Zimbabwean dollars. For Huaiqing to say something like this to me meant he was being completely honest with me.

Xu Qi'an smiled faintly, "It might even have a surprising effect."

Huaiqing stopped dwelling on it and continued, "Have you really mastered the Vajra Divine Skill?"

Xu Qi'an stretched out his palm, and his flesh and blood quickly congealed into a golden lacquer, his entire arm shimmering with a pale golden light.

Huaiqing, however, was not pleased. He said in a low voice, "Do you know how many martial artists covet this Invincible Vajra?"

Xu Qi'an felt a chill run down his spine but remained silent.

Huaiqing took a sip of tea and said, "Your influence is currently at its peak, so no one will openly target you. Keep a close eye on those around you, and also be careful not to give anyone a opening."

She paused, then added, "Duke Wei is not invincible."

Given the formidable combat prowess I displayed during the duel, even if the martial arts practitioners in the capital were drooling over me, they wouldn't dare set their sights on me. And since the big shots in the martial arts world wouldn't join in the excitement of the battle between the Celestial Person and the human, they naturally wouldn't know about the duel. Huaiqing's meaning was quite clear.

How many people in the capital dare to covet my invincible strength?

Civil officials might covet my invincible body, though they don't need it, but I can give it to the assassins and confidants I keep in my residence.

However, since this is not a direct or necessary benefit, civil officials are not too enthusiastic about it.

It's the nobility and the military!

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness," Xu Qi'an said sincerely.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Huaiqing casually said, "The storybook you gave me last time, my maids read it, and they said it was quite interesting."

"Although I don't read those things, I couldn't resist their repeated requests for follow-up."

"If Your Highness desires it, I will send it to you in a few days," Xu Qi'an said with a smile.

Huaiqing nodded reservedly, "No need to rush, it's just a few maids who want to see it. Hmm, let's do it tomorrow."

"Aren't you in a hurry? You're in a real rush. Fine, I'll go back today and find Zhong Li, the 'tool,' to write the words, "Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

After chatting for a while, Xu Qi'an made an excuse to take his leave of Princess Huaiqing.

He first returned to the outside of the palace, and only after the Imperial Guards informed him did he re-enter the palace and take the route to Shaoyin Garden.

"Lord Xu, please wait!" The guard raised his hand to stop him, saying:

"Princess Lin'an has decreed that no guests will be received today. Please return."

"Princess Lin'an invited me; you can inform her," Xu Qi'an reminded him.

Unexpectedly, the guard was quite adamant, shaking his head. "Lord Xu, please don't make things difficult for me. Please return."

Beating a guard in the palace is a serious crime. You're really lucky, kid. Lin'an is angry, huh? Knowing I went to Dexin Garden in Huaiqing first. Xu Baipiao's thoughts raced, and he already had a plan. He said angrily:

"His Highness invited me here, but you didn't go to announce my arrival. I can't do anything about it, so I'll just wait outside."

An ordinary-looking carriage stopped outside the Prince's mansion. Xu Xinnian lifted the curtain, stepped off the carriage onto the wooden stool prepared by the coachman, turned around, and reached out his hand to the pretty girl.

Xu Lingyue braced herself against her second brother's palm and stepped off the carriage steadily. The siblings handed the invitation to the gatekeeper and entered the mansion under his guidance.

"Second Brother, you seem preoccupied all the way here. Is it because you're nervous?" Xu Lingyue asked in a low voice.

"Even if I, your second brother, were to meet the current emperor, I wouldn't be nervous," Xu Cijiu said calmly. His expression was serious, his brows slightly furrowed, and he lowered his voice to speak to his sister.

"Once you're at the table, listen more, observe more, and speak less. You're just a female member of the entourage; nothing will happen to you. As for me..."

As for me, I might just have to meet the current Grand Secretary.

In fact, putting everything else aside, just in terms of courage and fighting spirit alone, Xu Erlang is undoubtedly a leader among his peers.

The prince's mansion was enormous. The brother and sister followed the servants for a long time, passing through corridors and courtyards, and finally arrived at a garden. The artificial hills and green water, along with the newly sprouting green leaves and the flower buds about to bloom, made for a very pleasant scene.

In the spacious garden, the clear sound of recitation and the sweet laughter of birds could be heard.

As they walked out of the corridor, Xu Erlang and Xu Lingyue saw two groups of people sitting at tables. On the left were more than a dozen scholars dressed in Confucian robes, all of whom were spirited and dignified.

On the right is a group of young and beautiful girls dressed in colorful skirts.

The atmosphere froze for a moment when the Xu Household siblings appeared, and the eyes of the young talents and girls lit up.

Xu Erlang frowned. This was somewhat different from the literary gathering he had anticipated. In his mind, the gathering would be presided over by Chief Minister Wang, and the scholars participating would be somewhat reserved as they explained their ideas and showcased their talents in front of the Chief Minister.

If one can gain the favor of the Grand Secretary, one will have a powerful backer when entering the imperial court in the future.

I never expected the literary gathering to be so relaxed, with fine wine, delicious food, fresh fruit, and, most importantly, so many beautiful young women.

"Young Master Xu, Miss Xu, please take a seat."

A woman with beautiful features and a graceful demeanor rose and gave a gentle bow.

She was tall and slender, with a slightly round face that was quiet and beautiful. Her eyes were very bright, and when she smiled, she had both the poise and grace of a well-bred lady and a hint of mischief.

Xu Xinnian and Xu Lingyue returned the greeting. The former glanced at them briefly, then walked to the seats on the left and chose an empty seat to sit down.

"Xu Huiyuan, I have long admired your name."

As soon as Fang took his seat, the scholars around him raised their wine cups.

As expected, apart from me, there were no other students from the Cloud Deer Academy; these people were all students from the Imperial Academy. Xu Xinnian felt a chill run down his spine, but maintained a calm smile and raised his glass in return.

He chatted with the candidates for the imperial examinations for a while, and they were so polite that he was somewhat surprised. There were no instances of them being subtly hostile or openly provocative.

Given Prime Minister Wang's political acumen and cunning, openly provoking him is truly low-level. Xu Xinnian nodded slightly. As expected of Prime Minister Wang, even before he arrived, he had already made me feel as if I were facing a formidable enemy.

On the other side, Xu Lingyue was placed next to Miss Wang, who greeted her with a gentle smile, "How old is Miss Xu this year?"

Xu Lingyue said softly, "Seventeen."

Miss Wang immediately said, "Since I'm nineteen, I'll call you Lingyue, okay?"

She acted as if she owned the place. Xu Lingyue smiled and said, "I'll listen to you, sister."

Miss Wang's smile grew even warmer as she said, "Then you can call me Sister Simu."

After chatting for a while, Xu Lingyue realized who this gentle and kind woman was—she was none other than the eldest daughter of Grand Secretary Wang Zhenwen.

"Is Lingyue married?" Miss Wang suddenly asked.

Xu Lingyue lowered her head shyly. "I'm not married yet."

If a man had asked her that question, Xu Lingyue would definitely have been angry, but she was surrounded by women, and they were speaking in low voices. Most importantly, the other person was the eldest daughter of the Wang family.

Miss Wang said in surprise, "My brothers must all be engaged by now, I need to hurry up too."

Xu Lingyue glanced at her and shook her head, saying, "My two elder brothers are not yet married."

The unmarried young lady calmly replied, "With the talents of the two young masters of the Xu Household, they must already be engaged."

The girls around them quietly pricked up their ears.

Whether it's the incomparably handsome Xu Xinnian or the dashing Xu Qi'an, especially the latter who has just experienced a battle of wits, the noble ladies of the capital are extremely curious about him.

Miss Wang smiled sweetly.

However, there are always exceptions. A girl in purple said in a sarcastic tone:

"The Xu Household has truly risen above their station. Xu Qi'an was originally just a simple laborer in Changle County, and Xu Pingzhi was merely a centurion in the Imperial Saber Guard. For a family like that, Miss Xu would have been lucky to marry into a merchant family. But now, she might just be able to marry into a wealthy and powerful family."

Xu Lingyue couldn't figure out the girl's background, so she adopted a wronged posture and lowered her head.

Seeing this, the other young ladies felt a little displeased with the girl in purple.

Miss Wang narrowed her eyes and said softly, "Yan'er, speak properly, Sister Lingyue. Yan'er is the niece of the Minister of Ministry of Justice."

Xu Lingyue, the niece of the Minister of Ministry of Justice, had a sudden thought, recalling how Zhou Li, the son of the Ministry of Revenue, had colluded with the Ministry of Justice to lock her elder brother in the Ministry of Justice's prison.

Turns out they were enemies.

"Sister Yan'er is straightforward and what she said is true." Xu Lingyue shook her head, forcing herself to suppress her grievances and put on a smile.

My eldest brother is a mere warrior, and my second brother holds no official position.

The girl named Yan'er was momentarily speechless. If she were to continue this topic, she would have to mock Xu Qi'an and Xu Xinnian in front of the audience, one of whom was present and the other was enjoying great prestige.

"Alright, let's have some tea." Miss Wang abruptly ended the conversation.

The literary gathering proceeded as usual, with the candidates discussing everything from poetry to national affairs, occasionally exchanging a few words with the young ladies from prominent families; the atmosphere was quite pleasant.

Xu Xinnian found himself having a rather pleasant conversation, so he made an excuse, saying that the garden scenery was nice, and took his wine glass to the side to ponder what kind of conspiracy the Prime Minister Wang might be plotting.

"The flowering season is almost over, yet they've withered?" He stared blankly at the pond of withered lotus leaves.

Just then, a gentle voice came from behind. "These are red lotuses from Qingzhou. They bloom only in the depths of winter and wither away in the spring. However, the climate in the capital is very different from that in Qingzhou, so the red lotuses don't grow well and have little ornamental value."

Looking back, I saw that woman with beautiful features.

Xu Xinnian now knew his identity and bowed, saying, "Miss Wang."

"Call me Simu," she said.

Xu Xinnian said, "Miss Simu."

Wang Simu smiled gently, her gaze sweeping over the talented men and beautiful women who had left their seats to admire the scenery and stroll through the garden. She said softly, "I have framed Mr. Xu's poem 'The Road to Shu is Hard,' and admire it in my room every day."

"When it comes to poetry, my eldest brother is still the best." After saying this, Xu Erlang said modestly, "However, literature is a product of nature, and a masterpiece can be created by chance. I too have had my moments of serendipitous inspiration."

Xu Erlang felt perfectly justified in using his elder brother's things to show off in front of others.

We're family, so what's mine is mine.

Xu Lingyue sat by the pond, enjoying the breeze and idly observing the scenery.

The literary gathering was meaningless; she wasn't part of that circle. And the "young talents" her mother mentioned were indeed quite good, but compared to her eldest and second brothers, they were somewhat inferior, even though they were all tribute students.

"Snort!"

A cold snort came from behind, and the girl in purple walked over, glaring at Xu Lingyue fiercely, and cursed, "You little bitch, what were you pretending to be pitiful for?"

Xu Lingyue raised her head and said weakly, "What did you say, Sister Yan'er? I... I pretended to be pitiful a few days ago."

The girl in purple sneered, "With your paltry tricks, you dare to make a fool of yourself in front of me? Don't you know in your heart whether you're pretending or not? A lowly girl from a boorish martial arts family, do you deserve to sit here? Do you deserve to sit at the same table as me?"

"Get out of the palace right now, and never let me see you again."

Xu Lingyue frowned. "Sister Yan'er dislikes me because of my eldest brother?"

The girl in purple sneered and retorted, "You do have some self-awareness, don't you?"

One reason was Xu Qi'an, who was at odds with his uncle. Another reason was that this little vixen had deliberately acted pitiful to gain the sisters' sympathy, which had given her a hard time and made her lose face.

The girl in purple had never suffered such injustice.

Thinking of this, she became even angrier and more jealous of Xu Lingyue's beauty. She said viciously, "A little slut like you only has those low-class tricks. You look like a vixen. Believe me, I'll sell you to a brothel and let you taste the bitterness of life."

Xu Lingyue immediately felt wronged. "My second brother brought me to the literary gathering. It was an invitation from the Prince's Mansion. How can I leave halfway through? Could you please help me, sister?"

The girl in purple frowned upon hearing this.

At this moment, Xu Lingyue secretly reached out and pinched the purple-clad girl's waist hard.

The girl in purple turned pale with pain and instinctively reached out to push her away.

Xu Lingyue then "conveniently" fell backward and into the pool.

"Help, help me! I can't swim, second brother, second brother, save me!"

Xu Lingyue cried out, her screams attracting the attention of a group of talented men and beautiful women.

"Someone has fallen into the water! Someone has fallen into the water!"

"Help! Someone help!"

Exclamations rang out as the crowd quickly gathered around.

Hearing the cries for help, Xu Xinnian looked in the direction of the sound and saw Xu Lingyue floating in the water, looking like she was drowning. His expression changed drastically, and without even saying goodbye to Miss Wang, he rushed over.

"Thump."

He leaped into the pool, grabbed Xu Lingyue by the waist, and lifted her out of the water. With the help of Miss Wang and the others, he pulled Xu Lingyue ashore.

"Quickly, go to the room and fetch my cloak!" Miss Wang hurriedly instructed her maid.

A moment later, a maid brought a cloak, which Miss Wang personally draped over Xu Lingyue. The latter nestled in her second brother's arms, sobbing softly.

The crowd gathered around, watching to see how things would unfold.

Xu Xinnian's face darkened. He glanced at the girl in purple and asked, "Lingyue, what's going on?"

Xu Lingyue sniffled, her beautiful hair clinging to her delicate face, looking frail and pitiful, as she sobbed:

"I... I don't know. This older sister told me to get out of the palace, saying I wasn't worthy to sit at the same table as her. I ignored her, and then she... she pushed me into the pond."

Everyone immediately turned to look at the girl in purple. The scholars glanced at the pitiful and endearing Xu Lingyue, then at the arrogant and domineering girl in purple, and frowned secretly.

"I don't."

The girl in purple, her face flushed with anger, pointed at Xu Lingyue and cursed, "You bitch, how dare you harm me! You were the one who pinched me first! Don't believe her, this little bitch is the one who harmed me; she deliberately went into the water herself!"

One of the young ladies frowned and said in a low voice, "Yan'er may be a bit unruly, but she wouldn't go so far as to push someone into the water."

The girl in purple cast a grateful glance at her best friend, then pointed at Xu Lingyue in a cooperative manner. "She did it herself. She deliberately fell into the water and tried to frame me. That little bitch is wicked."

Everyone looked at Xu Lingyue with suspicion.

Ignoring the stares of those around her, Xu Lingyue sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

"Second brother, has eldest brother offended someone? This Sister Yan'er said that eldest brother often goes against her uncle, and she can't do anything about him, but she can sell me into a brothel."

Sold into a brothel, Xu Xinnian's anger instantly flared up. He stared intently at the girl in purple. "May I ask which family you belong to, young lady?"

Miss Wang felt somewhat guilty and whispered, "Yan'er's uncle is Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice."

The scholars suddenly realized, their faces showing an expression of "I see." As scholars who would inevitably become officials in the court in the future, they had a certain understanding of the imperial court.

They had heard about the grudges and grievances between Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice and Xu Qi'an, the most famous of which was the poem "The Case of Sangbo - Presented to Minister Sun".

It is still talked about with great interest to this day.

Given Xu Shikui's current reputation, this poem will surely be passed down through the ages, while Minister Sun will be infamous for eternity.

In this way, the motive for this young lady Yan'er to push Xu Shikui's sister into the water today is quite sufficient.

"You"

The girl in purple was speechless again. She had indeed said those words. She wanted to deny it, but seeing the expressions of the scholars around her, she knew that there was no point in arguing.

"You said my sister pinched you? Where did she pinch you?" Xu Xinnian asked.

"My waist!" The girl in purple's eyes blazed with fury.

Xu Xinnian nodded slowly. "Young lady, what a clever plan! You know that scholars should not look at things that are improper, and since you can't verify anything, you're just explaining everything with your mouth."

The girl in purple was stunned, then suddenly realized why this little brat had pinched her waist. Now, she couldn't explain herself no matter what.

"We can check," a girl said.

Xu Xinnian nodded. "Just pinch it yourself later, and you'll see a bruise. My sister is clumsy and doesn't know how to talk, so she can't explain herself."

The girl in purple and her close friend were rendered speechless by Xu Erlang's retort.

Xu Xinnian sneered, "If you don't give me an explanation today, I will not let this matter rest."

The girl in purple, her eyes red with anger, pointed at Xu Xinnian and yelled, "Don't be so arrogant! You're just a mere top scholar, what are you? What can you do to me?"

"Smack!"

Xu Xinnian slapped him across the face.

The girl in purple staggered a few steps, her cheek instantly swelling and turning red. She covered her face, incredulous, "You... you dare hit me?"

Everyone was stunned, never expecting Xu Xinnian to be so decisive, hitting a woman without hesitation.

"You are all witnesses to what happened today. I will now take her to the authorities, and I ask you all to be my witnesses later."

After saying that, Xu Xinnian stared at the girl in purple and said coldly, "It's not the Ministry of Justice or the government office. I request that you go to the Nightwatchers's Office."

Everyone's expression changed drastically.

What kind of place is the Nightwatchers's office? Once inside, even the Minister of Ministry of Justice's words have no effect. If things really get serious, the Nightwatchers can easily push someone into the water and convict them of premeditated murder.

Even if the Minister of Ministry of Justice does his best to rescue her, once she's released, her reputation will be ruined. Will she be able to marry into a family of equal social standing in the future?

Fear flashed in the eyes of the girl in purple. She rushed to Miss Wang's side and cried, "Sister Simu, save me! I don't want to Nightwatchers's office!"

Wang Simu immediately looked at Xu Lingyue, but the latter turned her head away without showing any emotion.

This woman was no pushover either. Miss Wang had this thought in mind, then looked at Xu Xinnian and whispered:

"Young Master Xu, Yan'er's mistake was unintentional. I'll have her apologize and compensate Lingyue for her losses. Could you please consider this and let it go?"

She was also in a dilemma. The literary gathering was held at her residence. If this incident occurred and Xu Xinnian took the person away, then the Minister of Ministry of Justice and her father would definitely have a falling out.

By stopping Xu Xinnian, Wang Simu had completely offended him. This was something Wang Simu didn't want to see, so he planned to resolve the dispute privately without reporting it to the authorities.

"Alright, for Miss Wang's sake, I can refrain from reporting this to the authorities," Xu Xinnian said.

At that moment, Ms. Wang led the Xu Household siblings into a side hall to discuss compensation and apology.

"Yan'er is willful and capricious, and she has done such a wrong thing. She should compensate and apologize. How about five hundred taels of silver?" Miss Wang's beautiful eyes were fixed on her.

"The money is a minor matter; the important thing is the attitude," Xu Xinnian said calmly.

Wang Simu glanced at the girl in purple, who lowered her head in embarrassment and apologized.

Xu Xinnian then nodded and said, "One thousand taels, even one coin less would be premeditated murder."

". become."

Wang Simu smiled gently and said kindly, "Young Master Xu, please take Lingyue back to change into clean clothes so she doesn't catch a cold."

So, Miss Wang had someone fetch a thousand taels of silver, which she handed to Xu Xinnian with profuse thanks, and personally saw the brother and sister out of the mansion.

Inside the carriage, Xu Xinnian handed a thousand taels of silver to Xu Lingyue, saying, "Sister, keep this silver safe; it will be part of your dowry in the future."

He reached out and placed his hand on Xu Lingyue's shoulder, saying leisurely, "With boiling blood, one is immune to all evil influences."

Xu Lingyue felt a warm current surge through her body, dispelling the chill.

She let out a comfortable sigh and whispered, "Second Brother, it's my fault for making you leave early."

Xu Xinnian waved his hand. "It's better to leave early. To be honest, I don't have much confidence in fighting against Chief Minister Wang. Leaving early before he arrives is called seeking advantage and avoiding harm, which is the behavior of a gentleman."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "That Miss Wang, however, is quite something."

Xu Lingyue asked, "Miss Wang has an extraordinary demeanor, is very organized, and can control the situation."

She handled everything from beginning to end, even though it wasn't her fault, yet she was very good at admitting her mistakes, showing leadership qualities.

Xu Xinnian sneered, "That's only one reason. You fell into the water, but she didn't let you stay at her residence to change your clothes. This was both a show for the damned girl from the Ministry of Justice Justice's family and a show for me and you."

"Lingyue, you fell into the water on your own, didn't you?"

Xu Lingyue said softly, "Second brother, do you know why eldest brother is more likable than you?"

Xu Xinnian's competitive spirit was immediately aroused. "I've always been more likable than him."

Xu Lingyue shook her head. "If it were my older brother, he would definitely be fussing over me and blaming himself for not protecting me. He understands everything, but he won't say it."

Xu Xinnian's face suddenly froze.

Why are you crying?

Miss Wang held a handkerchief in her hand and wiped away the tears of the girl in purple, smiling as she said, "You are the legitimate daughter, and you have been able to act arrogantly and domineeringly in the mansion since you were a child. No one dares to offend you."

"You understand some things, but your upbringing makes you prefer to be straightforward, which isn't right. You'll regret it when you get married."

"That little bitch fell into the water by herself!" the girl in purple cried out in grievance.

"These things aren't important. What matters is what people think. If they think you pushed it, then you pushed it," Ms. Wang said with a smile.

"Sister, you're not helping me at all," the girl in purple said angrily.

"I can't beat those two siblings," Miss Wang said with a smile.

She was in a good mood and had gained a lot. First, Xu Cijiu was not married and had no engagement. Second, she had figured out the temperament of Xu Household sister.

Third, although the exchange was brief, Xu Xinnian's personality and temperament suited her very well.

He is good-looking, strong-willed, intelligent, opinionated, and shrewd. More importantly, he is willing to offend the Minister of Ministry of Justice for his family.

Throughout history, there have been countless men of great talent and ambition—the intelligent, the cunning, the ruthless. All of these men are meaningless, because they only care about their own grand ambitions and rarely prioritize the women in their families.

To raise such shrewd children and cultivate such a brilliant nephew, the matriarch of the Xu Household must be an extraordinary person.

A sharp glint flashed in Miss Wang's eyes, filled with fighting spirit.

PS: The "hindsight" gift limit has been reached, and it's available in the character section. The little mare has risen to prominence, which I never expected.

The "post-mortem analysis" is based on a poll conducted on a public WeChat account, which regularly updates information about the book's characters, foreshadowing, power dynamics, cultivation system, and so on.

The "Guide to Judging the Courtesan of Great Feng" should also be updated on the official WeChat account, so please follow it.

Also, I had vomiting and diarrhea this morning, and got acute gastroenteritis. I spent the morning at the hospital receiving IV fluids. Well, I'm fine now, just a little weak. Don't worry, it's nothing serious.

Long-time readers may remember that I had acute gastroenteritis twice the year before last, once last year, and this year it was bound to happen again.

Please remember to correct any typos for me.

PS: I'll try to write a second update tonight. If I don't update before midnight, I'll update tomorrow.