Night talks

An eerie silence fell over the deck.

The officials and guards of the three ministries were terrified and dared not utter a word to provoke Xu Qi'an. In particular, the head constable of the Ministry of Justice had just said that Xu Qi'an's idea of establishing a one-man rule was wishful thinking.

At this moment, he felt a burning sensation on his cheeks and suddenly understood the anger and helplessness of the Minister of Ministry of Justice. He hated this kid to the bone, but he couldn't do anything about it.

Of course, the one who lost the most face was Chu Xianglong. As the deputy general of the Prince of Zhenbei, he held real power on the border. Even after returning to the capital, he still didn't have to be subservient to anyone.

He was not afraid of even the high-ranking officials in the court, because the person who could control his life, death, and future was the Prince of Zhenbei. No matter how powerful the officials were, they could not deal with him.

He gradually developed an arrogant and domineering personality, until now, when he has suffered a severe setback at the hands of Xu Qi'an.

While reminding himself to prioritize the overall situation, Chu Xianglong tried to calm his frustration and anger, but he was too ashamed to stay on the deck. He gave Xu Qi'an a deep look and left without saying a word.

He felt that everyone was looking at him with mockery, and he didn't want to stay a moment longer.

On the deck and in the cabin, gazes turned to Xu Qi'an, their expressions subtly shifting from scrutiny and amusement to reverence.

The official rank of Yinluo was nothing special; there were many officials in the delegation with higher ranks than him. However, the power that Xu Yinluo wielded and the imperial decree he carried made him the rightful organizer.

If anyone dares to outwardly comply but inwardly defy, or to use their official position to suppress, then Chu Xianglong's humiliation today will serve as their example.

The princess was blocked by the group of young girls and couldn't see the expressions on the faces of the people on deck, but the sounds they made were enough.

His behavior, at first glance, seemed domineering and forceful, giving the impression of youthful impetuosity, but in reality, he was shrewd beneath his rough exterior. He had anticipated that the Imperial Guards would surround him. No, that's not right. I was misled by appearances. The reason he was able to suppress Chu Xianglong was because he acted with a clear conscience, thus allowing him to stand upright. As the saying goes, those who follow the righteous path receive much help, while those who stray from it receive little. The Princess must admit, he is a man of great courage and charisma, only he is too lustful.

With Chu Xianglong backing down and leaving, the turmoil came to an end.

Xu Yinluo calmed the imperial guards down and headed towards the cabin. The maids blocking the entrance dispersed, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at him.

As Xu Qi'an brushed past the older woman, he winked at her, and she immediately gave him a disgusted look and turned her face away with disdain.

"He really is a lecherous man," the princess thought to herself.

Her current appearance is certainly not that of a beauty, and she is rather plain-looking. However, even so, the lecherous and lecherous Xu Qi'an still tried to seduce her.

Entering the cabin and going up to the second floor, Xu Qi'an knocked on Yang Yan's door.

"Come in!"

Yang Jinluo, who had never bothered to get involved in the dispute, said calmly.

Xu Qi'an pushed open the door and entered, seeing Yang Yan sitting cross-legged on the bed, with a pair of boots neatly arranged beside the bed.

Yang Yan is meticulous in his work, but his obsessive-compulsive disorder is different from Chun Ge's.

Xu Qi'an closed the door, strolled to the table, poured himself a glass of water, drank it in one gulp, and whispered, "What's going on with those women?"

"When Chu Xianglong escorted the Princess to the Northern Border, he infiltrated the delegation to avoid suspicion. His Majesty had spoken with Duke Wei about this, but it was only a verbal order, without any written documentation," Yang Yan said.

"It really is the Princess Consort." Xu Qi'an frowned. He guessed correctly. The woman escorted by Chu Xianglong was indeed the Princess Consort of Zhenbei. That was why he only threatened Chu Xianglong and did not actually expel him.

"Why are you escorting the princess to the northern border in such a secretive way?" Xu Qi'an asked.

Yang Yan shook her head.

There must be something fishy about this. Xu Qi'an lowered his voice and said, "Boss, tell me about this princess. She seems very mysterious."

Yang Yan frowned slightly. This question was a bit difficult for him. After all, for a Martial Dao fanatic who was not looking for a warm harbor in the world but rather a deep abyss, gossip was meaningless.

"I don't know much, except that after the Battle of Shanhai Pass, His Majesty bestowed the Princess Consort upon the Prince of Huai. For the next twenty years, she never left the capital."

I know all this. I even remember the poem that described the princess. Xu Qi'an was extremely disappointed when he couldn't get any more gossip out of him.

"You've offended Chu Xianglong this time, and you'll inevitably face difficulties after arriving in the Northern Border, but you've also successfully established your prestige. No one has dared to challenge you along the way."

Yang Yan continued, "The people from the Three Judicial Offices are untrustworthy; they are not proactive in handling the case."

It's clear that they investigate cases when there's no danger, but they'll definitely back down if they encounter danger. After all, failing to do their job well might only result in punishment, which is better than losing their lives. Xu Qi'an nodded.

"I know, it's only human nature."

Yang Yan didn't try to persuade him further, nodded, and looked at Xu Qi'an: "Is there anything else? If not, please leave and don't disturb my cultivation."

Boss, you're so boring. You're like a programmer from my past life. When a woman takes her pants off in front of them, all they do is yell "404".

Xu Qi'an left the room, half making a joke and half making a sarcastic remark.

That day, after dinner, in the dark night, Xu Qi'an, Chen Xiao, and a group of imperial guards sat on the deck chatting and boasting.

Xu Qi'an told them about the tax silver case, the Sangbo case, the Princess Pingyang case, and so on that he had solved. The Imperial Guards listened with sincere admiration, thinking that Xu Qi'an was simply a god.

As members of the Imperial Guards of the capital, they had heard of these cases many times, but knew nothing of the details. Now they finally knew how Xu Yinluo had solved them.

For example, in the tax silver case, Xu Ningyan, who was then a popular figure in Changle County, remained calm despite being caught in the middle and asked the prefect, "Do you want to solve this case?"

The prefect replied: Yes.

Xu Ningyan said calmly: Roll it up.

So the case file was delivered, and with just a glance, he solved the tax case that had been causing headaches for the Nightwatchers and the government office.

For example, the intricate and historically significant Sangbo case left the constables of the Ministry of Justice and the prefectural government completely baffled. Xu Yinluo—or rather, Xu Tongluo at the time—holding the imperial gold medal, addressed the incompetent officials of the Ministry of Justice and the prefectural government:

Cases that the Ministry of Justice can't handle, I, Xu Qi'an, will handle; things that the Ministry of Justice dares not do, I, Xu Qi'an, will do.

The useless officials in the Ministry of Justice lowered their heads in shame.

Xu Yinluo is truly remarkable. The Imperial Guards admired and worshipped him even more.

"Actually, none of these are anything special. My proudest achievement in life is the Yunzhou case."

Xu Qi'an, holding a wine pot, swept his gaze across the lean faces and said proudly, "Back then, when the rebel army of Yunzhou captured the Provincial Administration Commission, the governor and his colleagues were on the verge of death."

"At that moment, I stood alone with my sword, blocking the path of eight thousand rebel soldiers. Not a single one of them could get in. I hacked and slashed for a full hour, breaking dozens of swords in the process, my body riddled with arrows, but not a single one of them could get in."

"Eight thousand?" Centurion Chen Xiao was taken aback, scratching his head. "I heard it was ten thousand rebels?"

I heard it's fifteen thousand.

"No, no, no, I heard from my brothers in the Imperial Guard that there were a full twenty thousand rebels."

The soldiers started arguing.

"Wow, that's quite a boast! I'm almost embarrassed." Xu Qi'an coughed, drawing everyone's attention, and said:

"No, no, those are all rumors. According to my count, there are only eight thousand rebels."

Eight thousand was a reasonable number in Xu Qi'an's opinion; anything over ten thousand would be too extravagant. Sometimes he himself would wonder how many rebels he had actually killed.

"So it was eight thousand rebels."

The Imperial Guards suddenly realized what was going on and became convinced that this was the real data, since it was Xu Yinluo himself who said it.

During their casual conversation, it was time to go outside for some fresh air. Xu Qi'an clapped his hands and said:

"We'll arrive in Jiangzhou tomorrow, and further north is the border of Chuzhou. We'll rest at the Jiangzhou post station for a day and replenish our supplies. I'll give everyone half a day off tomorrow."

"Lord Xu is so kind." The soldiers happily went back to the hold.

These past few days, they haven't had to stay cooped up in the hold, and with the toilets being cleaned frequently, the environment has improved dramatically, and their complexions have all improved a lot.

The deck, which was bustling just a moment ago, became somewhat deserted the next. The moonlight, as white as frost and snow, shone on the boat, on people's faces, and on the river, shimmering and sparkling.

"Fraud!"

Xu Qi'an, who was carrying a wine jug, heard someone cursing at him beside him.

He shamelessly laughed, "You're just jealous of my excellence. How do you know I'm a liar? You're not even in Yunzhou."

The old woman, sharp-tongued, scoffed, "How did you know I was talking about the Yunzhou case?"

Xu Qi'an was taken aback by her words and said irritably, "If you have nothing to say, then get lost."

The older woman retorted angrily, "I'm not leaving! It's not your boat!"

She was delicate and couldn't stand the rocking of the ship. She hadn't been sleeping or eating well for the past few days, and she had developed bags under her eyes, looking quite haggard. So she developed the habit of coming to the deck to get some fresh air before going to bed.

She happened to see him chatting and joking with a group of soldiers on the deck, so she could only hide to the side and eavesdrop. She only dared to come out after the soldiers left.

Xu Qi'an ignored her, and she ignored Xu Qi'an as well. One looked down at the shimmering river surface, while the other looked up at the bright moon in the sky.

When the old lady is silent, she possesses a serene beauty, like a crabapple blossom under the moonlight, blooming alone.

The moonlight shone on her ordinary face, but her eyes were hidden in the shadows cast by her eyelashes, as deep as the sea and as pure as the purest black gemstones.

Xu Qi'an took a sip of wine, averted his scrutinizing gaze, and looked up with a sigh, "I'm in high spirits and have composed a poem. You're lucky; you can use my poem to show off to others in the future."

She scoffed, her face full of disdain, but her ears perked up unmistakably.

Although she wanted to criticize or ridicule the man who always angered her, he was Great Feng undisputed leading poet in the Confucian circles of Da Feng, and speaking rudely would only make her look foolish.

After waiting for a while, he still hadn't recited the poem. The elderly woman, who was patiently waiting for his masterpiece, couldn't help but turn around and look, only to be met with a pair of teasing eyes.

She angrily turned her head away again.

Then, I heard that guy's voice, half sighing and half reciting, "The people of today do not see the moon of old, yet the moon of today once shone on the people of old."

The moon of today is not the moon of old, yet the moon of today once shone on the ancients. Her eyes widened, and she murmured to herself, her amazement evident in her expression.

"Now I finally understand why the scholars in the capital admire your poetry so much," she sighed softly.

They're not flattering me; I don't produce poetry, I'm just a conveyor of it. Xu Qi'an laughed:

"You flatter me. Poetic talent is something that's innate. I was born feeling like my mind was full of timeless masterpieces, and I could write about them effortlessly."

This time, the eccentric old lady didn't criticize or refute, but instead pressed, "What happened next?"

I don't remember what happened next. Xu Qi'an shrugged. "I only wrote that one sentence, that's all."

She said through gritted teeth, "Now I finally understand why so many people hate you."

Then another silence fell.

The elderly woman leaned on the railing, gazing at the gently rippling river. This posture inevitably caused her buttocks to stick out slightly, revealing her rounded buttocks beneath her thin spring clothes.

"It's big and round, but I can't tell if it's a peach or a full moon," Xu Qi'an commented in his mind as usual, before looking away.

He can't keep staring at it, or it will make him seem sleazy.

"I heard you're going to the Northern Frontier to investigate the massacre of a thousand miles?" she suddenly asked.

"Hmm." Xu Qi'an nodded, his words concise and to the point.

"What kind of case is it?" she asked again.

"It's unclear at the moment, but I estimate that barbarians have invaded the border, committing widespread burning, killing, and looting, slaughtering across thousands of miles, while the Prince of Zhenbei is guarding the city and refusing to come out," Xu Qi'an offered his guess.

"Oh!"

She nodded and said, "If that's the case, aren't you afraid of offending the Prince of Zhenbei?"

"I'm scared."

Xu Qi'an said helplessly, "If the case hadn't fallen on my shoulders, I would have turned a blind eye and focused on managing my own affairs. But it just so happened to fall on my shoulders."

"I'm thinking it might be fate. If it is fate, then I should go and see."

She didn't speak, squinting her eyes as she enjoyed the cool breeze from the river.

Xu Qi'an's eyes darted around, and he smiled, "When I traveled to Yunzhou by boat last year, I encountered some strange things on the way."

She immediately became interested and tilted her head.

"During the journey, a soldier came to the deck at night, leaned against the railing in the same position as you, staring at the water, and then, and then..."

Xu Qi'an stared at the river, a look of horror on his face.

She stared intently at the river, completely focused.

"Then a water ghost jumped out of the river!" Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice.

"Nonsense, utter nonsense."

The older woman's face paled, and she looked frightened. She forced a smile and said, "You're just trying to scare me."

Thump!

Suddenly, a sound came from the water, splashing water.

She screamed, startled, and sat down on the ground, clutching her head and trembling.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Xu Qi'an burst into laughter, pointing at the old woman's disheveled appearance, and mocked, "A wine jug scared you like this?"

The old woman silently got up, her face as cold as frost, and left without a word.

"Are you angry?" Xu Qi'an called out, watching her retreating figure, "Hey, come back and chat for a few more minutes, Auntie."

At dawn, the official ship slowly moored at the dock of Huangyou County. As one of the few counties in Jiangzhou with a dock, Huangyou County's economy was quite good.

This area is famous for a type of jade that is yellowish-orange, crystal clear, and has a color like butter, hence the name Butter Jade.

The official ship will stay at the dock for a day. Xu Qi'an will send people ashore to prepare supplies, and at the same time, he will divide the Imperial Guards into two groups, one group to stay on the official ship and the other group to enter the city. Half a day later, the other group will take over.

"Since we have some time, after lunch we can go to the city and find some brothels, and take our Nightwatchers colleagues out for a bit. As for Yang Yan, let him stay on the ship."

In the morning light, Xu Qi'an was lost in thought when he suddenly heard a vomiting sound coming from a corner of the deck.

Turning my head, I saw something round, like a peach or a full moon, with an old woman leaning against the side of the boat, vomiting incessantly.

"Auntie, are you pregnant?" Xu Qi'an teased, taking out a handkerchief and handing it to her.

She ignored it, took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, her face was haggard, and her eyes were bloodshot, as if she hadn't slept all night.

"I noticed you didn't look well yesterday, what happened?" Xu Qi'an asked.

The young woman glared at him, then swayed her hips and went back to her cabin.

She was so scared last night that she couldn't sleep. She kept feeling that there were terrifying eyes watching her from outside the fluttering bed curtains, or that a hand might be reaching out from under the bed, or that a head might be hanging outside the paper window.

Wrapped in the blankets, with my head covered, I didn't dare to sleep, and I had to peek out every now and then to check the room.

Having not slept all night, coupled with the ship's rocking motion, the fatigue that had accumulated over the past few days suddenly erupted, causing headaches, vomiting, and general discomfort.

It's all this kid's fault.

"Fine, you can ignore me, but I'm worried you'll interrupt my time listening to music at the brothel, "Xu Qi'an muttered to himself, before calling his friends and disembarking.

PS: Updated first, then revised.

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