The Su Family's Past

Wei Yuan stepped forward, bowed, and said loudly, "In times of peace, military households can be self-sufficient by cultivating military fields. Once war breaks out, the court will need to allocate grain and military supplies, which is perfectly reasonable."

The chief minister narrowed his eyes, looking at Wei Yuan with a deep gaze.

Upon hearing this, Chu Xianglong smiled. In matters of war, these scholars who only knew how to talk were no match for Wei Yuan, even if they said a hundred words.

Having obtained provisions and military pay, he had completed half of his mission to return to the capital.

Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong breathed a sigh of relief, somewhat surprised that Wei Yuan would support his plan. He knew that this would allow him to avoid the scandal of the imperial examination fraud and remain uninvolved.

On second thought, this matter aligns with His Majesty's wishes. With the support of nobles within and the "pressure" from the barbarian army without, it is an inevitable trend. Even those who opposed this matter have understood the situation.

Unexpectedly, Wei Yuan changed the subject, saying, "However, before that, I have something to report to Your Majesty."

Everyone turned to look at the source of the sound.

Wei Yuan's expression remained unchanged, ignoring the gazes of the officials.

Emperor Yuanjing said, "Speak."

"When Tonglu, one of his men, discovered a group of martial arts practitioners fighting to the death on the outskirts of the capital, he went to stop them. However, the one with more men not only refused to stop but also beheaded the attackers and fled."

Wei Yuan spoke with such conviction, as if the truth of the matter were exactly as he claimed. "Before his death, the deceased cried out, 'There is trouble in the north!'"

Upon hearing Wei Yuan's words, the expressions of all the officials present, including Emperor Yuanjing, changed.

Chu Xianglong abruptly turned his head, stared at Wei Yuan, then quickly looked away, not daring to offend him, and said stiffly:

"The north is naturally in turmoil; barbarian tribes are raiding everywhere, stirring up war."

Wei Yuan's expression remained calm. "So, the barbarians slaughtered across three thousand miles in the north, and General Chu simply dismissed it with a mere 'burning, killing, and looting'?"

These words shocked everyone present. Emperor Yuanjing even rose from his chair and stared intently at the man in blue below.

"Wei Yuan, explain yourself clearly! What do you mean by 'slaughtering three thousand miles'?!"

Chu Xianglong hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, absolutely not!"

"Shut up!"

Emperor Yuanjing raised his hand to interrupt, giving him a cold look before turning to Wei Yuan: "What proof do you have?"

Wei Yuan reached into his robes, pulled out a sachet, and untied the red string. A wisp of green smoke rose gracefully, twisting and transforming in mid-air into a blurry-faced, vacant-eyed man who murmured:

"A bloodbath stretches for three thousand miles, a bloodbath stretches for three thousand miles! We beg the imperial court to send troops to quell this!"

Wei Yuan continued, "I have brought the body with me; it is just outside the palace gates. Your Majesty can send someone to examine the body. This person was from the north!"

The Imperial Study was completely silent.

Emperor Yuanjing slowly rose, his face ashen, and said, word by word, "Examine the body!"

The old eunuch lowered his head and hurried back to relay the order, as if he were fleeing, not daring to breathe.

Emperor Yuanjing sat high on his dragon throne, his expression somber, not uttering a single word. The officials below exchanged silent glances, while Chu Xianglong's face was also ashen, glaring at Wei Yuan out of the corner of his eye.

After a agonizing fifteen-minute wait, the old eunuch returned and whispered in Emperor Yuanjing's ear.

Emperor Yuanjing remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Summon the Warlock from the Bureau of Astronomy to the palace for questioning. I am tired; my beloved ministers, please go and rest for a while in the side hall."

He stared at Chu Xianglong and said in a deep voice, "You stay here."

Having said that, he stood up first and left the imperial study.

Led by the eunuchs, the officials went to a side hall to rest.

Inside the side hall.

The Minister of Ministry of Revenue held his teacup, took a sip, turned to look at the expressionless Wei Yuan, and tentatively asked, "Duke Wei, is this true?"

All the officials immediately looked at Wei Yuan, whose expression was serious. He returned the Minister of Ministry of Revenue with a cold glance. "Does Lord Zhao think I'm joking?"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare."

The Ministry of Revenue sighed, "A massacre spanning three thousand miles—if this were true, how many people would have died in the northern border? The Nightwatchers's office is full of spies; why didn't they receive any news?"

Wei Yuan did not respond to the Minister of Ministry of Revenue's probing questions.

The Prime Minister squinted, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, lost in thought.

After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, the old eunuch entered the side hall and respectfully announced, "His Majesty requests that you all return to the Imperial Study."

Next, the white-robed Warlock summoned from the Bureau of Astronomy questioned Chu Xianglong. As expected, everything Chu Xianglong said was true.

The Prince of Zhenbei achieved a great victory over the barbarians in the north, but the barbarians' guerrilla tactics did indeed cause him great trouble, leaving the northern border troops exhausted.

With the barbarian army kept at bay outside the border, the massacre that lasted for three thousand miles was naturally a thing of the past.

The atmosphere in the imperial study suddenly relaxed, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Snort!"

Chu Xianglong sneered, "I wonder where Duke Wei got this information, it almost caused His Majesty and the officials to misunderstand the Prince. I'm just wondering, has the Prince offended Duke Wei?"

Wei Yuan ignored him, strode forward, and said loudly, "This matter is of utmost importance. What this man said may be true, but it does not mean that the situation in the north is truly like this."

Chu Xianglong raised his eyebrows, about to retort, when he saw Chief Minister Wang step forward to echo him:

"Your Majesty, I believe Duke Wei's words are reasonable. This matter is of great importance and cannot be neglected. It must be thoroughly investigated."

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Wang and Wei Yuan, the officials responded enthusiastically.

Emperor Yuanjing pondered for a moment and said, "My esteemed ministers, what do you think is the best way to investigate this matter?"

Chief Minister Wang said, "Your Majesty can continue to collect grain and military supplies and transport them to Chuzhou. At the same time, send another imperial envoy to the northern border to thoroughly investigate this case."

Wei Yuan said, "I second that."

Emperor Yuanjing nodded. "Let's do it that way."

The Xu Residence.

Su Su sat on the eaves, holding a red umbrella to shield herself from the sun, watching the little boy practicing his horse stance in the yard.

In the next hall, Li Miaozhen was talking to the matriarch and young lady of the Xu Household.

Aunt and Xu Lingyue were not in a good mood when they heard that another guest was staying at their house.

The former felt that if things continued this way, their home would turn into a charity. The latter felt that the woman was too beautiful and posed a threat to him.

Aside from the woman in the Daoist robe, the woman in white outside made Xu Lingyue feel like she had thorns in her back. She felt that, based on her looks alone, she not only had no chance of winning, but was even slightly inferior.

The woman holding the red umbrella possessed an indescribable charm, which was particularly alluring.

However, upon hearing that Li Miaozhen was Xu Qi'an's savior, the aunt and Xu Lingyue immediately changed their attitude, showing more heartfelt gratitude and welcome.

"The Xu Household truly lives up to its reputation as Aristocratic Clan of martial artists. I see that young lady is still quite young, yet she's already starting to lay the foundations of martial arts." Li Miaozhen was quite adept at social etiquette, and during their casual conversation, she didn't forget to offer a compliment.

The aunt was heartbroken upon hearing this and said helplessly, "I wish she could have studied for a few years. I don't expect her to be proficient in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting, but at least she should be well-mannered and knowledgeable. It's a pity she's an idiot."

That child may be simple-minded, but how could he be mentally challenged? Xu Qi'an's cousin is a student at the Cloud Deer Academy, yet he doesn't teach his sister to read? Li Miaozhen thought for a moment and said:

"Miaozhen is staying at the Xu Residence. In her spare time, she can help with the young lady's early education."

Her idea was that Xu Xinnian was too busy with his studies to teach his younger sister, while Xu Qi'an and Xu Pingzhi were martial artists and she preferred to let the Xu Household's daughter learn martial arts.

Anyway, it's just teaching the kids for a while, it won't interfere with anything else.

The aunt was taken aback and was about to refuse when Xu Lingyue preemptively agreed, her smile subtle, "Then thank you very much, Master Li."

Li Miaozhen took a great liking to this gentle and pretty young woman and smiled, saying, "It was nothing."

After she finished speaking, she noticed that the look in the eyes of the matriarch of the Xu Household had become more pitying and sympathetic.

"Sister, sister, are you really a ghost?"

Xu Lingyin stood in a horse stance, her two short, thick legs trembling slightly. She raised her head and looked at Su Su on the eaves.

"Yes, I'll eat people, aren't you afraid?" Su Su threatened.

"I'm scared!" Xu Lingyin showed a frightened expression.

Su Su chuckled, a little smug, humming a tune as she stared blankly at the azure sky.

After an unknown amount of time, the two girls, one big and one small, disappeared from the courtyard.

"Sister, sister"

The shouts came from below. Su Su looked down and saw a little girl standing under the eaves, her head raised, her clear black and white eyes staring at her.

"Can you get down?" the little girl asked.

Su Su floated lightly into the courtyard, looked down at the whorl of hair on Xu Lingyue's head, and said irritably, "What?"

Xu Lingyin didn't speak, but furtively beckoned her over, signaling her to come over.

Su Su followed, filled with doubt, until they reached the kitchen. The aroma of cooking filled the air. The little boy struggled to cross the threshold, then turned back and said:

"Sister, come here."

In the kitchen, Xiao Heipi from Southern Frontier was tending the fire, the oil in the pot was boiling. Xu Lingyin pulled Su Su to the pot, looked up at her expectantly, and said:

"Sister, can you climb in by yourself?"

Su Su's face suddenly froze.

When Xu Qi'an returned home after his shift, he introduced Li Miaozhen to his Second Uncle Xu. Second Uncle Xu initially thought she was his nephew's friend and nodded with the air of an elder.

He asked calmly, "Where does Master Li practice?"

"She is the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect, one of the main protagonists in the struggle between Celestial Person and Man," Xu Qi'an added.

"."

Xu Pingzhi almost stood up to bow and shout, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Holy Maiden!"

"I met her when I was in Yunzhou," Xu Qi'an explained simply.

Xu Pingzhi nodded blankly, his heart filled with turmoil and his thoughts in turmoil.

Dalang even knows the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect! His connections are expanding, and his strength is increasing, while I've only just broken through to the Spirit Refining Realm. He's really making something of himself.

Second Uncle Xu felt a sense of relief, but then he realized that the gap between him and his nephew was widening, and a sense of loss welled up in his heart.

Looking at his son again, he realized that after participating in the imperial examination, the boy would become a proper official of the court. Although his progress was not as exaggerated as Ningyan's, he had already risen to the top in one step and was a dragon among men.

I've done right by my ancestors. It's a pity my elder brother died young, unable to see his son and nephew become so successful.

At this moment, Xu Xinnian said in a deep voice, "Brother, Miss Wang has invited me to go boating on the lake again."

"Does Miss Wang have a crush on my Erlang?" Xu Qi'an's heart skipped a beat, and he became even more certain of his guess.

During the imperial examination fraud case, Miss Wang tipped him off, and the information was true, which was quite unusual.

At this point, considering the two invitations to go boating on the lake, it's almost certain that Miss Wang is interested in Erlang, and her advances are quite substantial.

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an smiled and asked, "So, do you agree?"

Xu Xinnian scoffed, "I declined, citing the upcoming imperial examination."

"Well done, Erlang," Xu Qi'an patted him on the shoulder and praised, "A role model for us all."

The Dalang mocked the Erlang in a sarcastic and sarcastic tone.

"A role model for our generation?" That's an inappropriate term. Ha, even the uncultured eldest brother, Erlang, was secretly mocking the Dalang.

After dinner, Xu Qi'an arrived at Li Miaozhen's room. Just as he was about to knock, he heard Su Su's voice coming from inside:

"Master, this child is terrifying! She... she wants to eat me, and she even heated up a pot of oil."

"Children speak without thinking, and their actions are the same; there's no need to take it to heart," Li Miaozhen casually replied.

"No, I can tell she's not joking; that intense, piercing gaze." Su Su said a few words, then, seeing Li Miaozhen's lack of interest, she angrily snorted and exclaimed:

"You filthy man, your sister wants to eat me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened automatically, and Su Su stood there, hands on her hips, cheeks puffed out, glaring at him angrily.

Ah, this... I remember now, her aunt told her that fried ghost cakes are delicious. This silly child not only believed it, but also remembered it for so long?

So, if your memory is more than enough to memorize English words, how come you can't even recite the Three Character Classic?

While inwardly complaining, Xu Qi'an changed the subject. "Su Su, I remember you said that if I agreed to two of your requests, you would be my concubine for three years."

Upon hearing this, Li Miaozhen glared fiercely at Su Su.

Speaking of feminine charm, the alluring ghost, more delicate and seductive than her master, put her hands on her hips and said, "That's right! Help me rebuild my physical body, and then find out why my father was beheaded back then."

"I will not only be your concubine for three years, but I will also bear you a son."

Whether or not she became his concubine didn't really matter. Xu Qi'an agreed to the marriage because he felt bad about bullying a female ghost.

Now that Li Miaozhen has come to the capital, he will not forget their original agreement.

Of course, if Su Su really wants to repay the favor, becoming a concubine is also an option.

"I absolutely must make sure Song Qing has a 36D body. I don't care myself, but I can't let the child suffer." He muttered to himself, then looked at Li Miaozhen.

"Tell me everything you know first."

The expressions of the master and servant turned serious. Li Miaozhen said, "Susu was born in Jiangzhou. Her father was the prefect of Jiangzhou. He was convicted and beheaded in the 15th year of Yuanjing. Originally, the women in her family would have been sent to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run Imperial Academy of Music).

"Her mother was strong-willed and refused to Imperial Academy of Music. She poisoned all the women in the family with a cup of poisoned wine, including Su Su. However, she had a younger brother who was studying away from home at the time and luckily escaped the tragedy."

"On this trip to Beijing, I took Susu on a detour to Jiangzhou, hoping to investigate what happened back then. Unexpectedly, we discovered something strange."

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