Surging undercurrents

The Grand Secretary bowed to the assembled officials and followed the old eunuch into the palace, walking all the way to a side hall of the Imperial Study.

The old eunuch instructed a servant to serve tea, and said respectfully, "Your Excellency, please wait a moment."

After saying that, he left.

The chief minister sat alone in his chair, waiting for half an hour.

He wasn't in a hurry, waiting silently, dressed in a scarlet robe, a tall hat, and with graying temples.

His expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger, but his occasional dazed look made it clear that the old man's emotions were not as good as they seemed.

Finally, footsteps approached.

The chief minister's slightly cloudy eyes brightened slightly as he looked towards the doorway.

An old eunuch in a python robe, a whisk draped over his arm, entered alone and said regretfully, "Your Excellency, His Majesty is overcome with grief and has acted improperly, so he will not see you."

The light in Wang's eyes gradually dimmed.

The old eunuch sighed, "His Majesty needs time to calm down. As you know, Prince Huai was his younger brother, and His Majesty had a deep bond with him since childhood. Now he's suddenly gone."

The chief minister nodded woodenly, cupped his hands in greeting, and left the side hall of the imperial study.

As he descended the steps, Chief Minister Wang couldn't help but come to his senses and bow deeply towards the Imperial Study.

Then he strode away without looking back.

Watching Chief Minister Wang leave, the old eunuch let out a sigh of relief. He was somewhat afraid of Wang Zhenwen's gaze, which was filled with deep disappointment.

He passed through the imperial study, entered the imperial bedchamber, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary has returned."

Emperor Yuanjing hummed in response, keeping his eyes closed to rest, and asked, "Who are the people gathered at the palace gate?"

The old eunuch said in a deep voice, "Everyone who was supposed to come has arrived."

Emperor Yuanjing snorted coldly, "I knew it! These dogs are always attacking each other, half of it is just an act. Hateful, despicable, they deserve to die!"

He was angry for a moment, then regained his composure and asked, "Has the Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong arrived?"

The old eunuch thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't think I saw it."

Emperor Yuanjing closed his eyes again. After a long silence, just when the old eunuch thought the matter was over, he suddenly heard Emperor Yuanjing say:

"Make a note of those who didn't come today, and do the same for the next few days."

"Yes!"

At dusk, in the golden-red afterglow.

Xu Qi'an led the mare, Xu Xinnian led his mount, walking slowly down the street.

Accompanying him were Provincial Governor Zheng Xinghuai and Shen Tu Baili, a fifth-rank military officer.

"Lord Zheng, are you staying at the post station?" Xu Qi'an asked, his tone tinged with concern.

Given Zheng Xinghuai's official rank, he would definitely be staying at a post station in the inner city, where security was excellent, and he would also have a group of close guards, including Shentu Baili.

However, their current enemy is Emperor Yuanjing, and there are some things they must be wary of. A martial artist at the fifth rank of Transformation Realm is really not enough in the capital.

"Brother, rest assured. The massacre of the city by the Prince of Zhenbei has put both His Majesty and Lord Zheng in the spotlight. Even His Majesty wouldn't do anything unwise at this time, as it would incur public wrath. We must understand the overwhelming trend of events and cannot resist it head-on."

Xu Xinnian said.

Governor Zheng glanced at him with surprise, and a hint of approval appeared on his bitter and resentful face. He said:

"Xu Yinluo, your cousin has a keen eye; what he says is very true. This composure in the face of honor and disgrace indicates a bright future for him."

Xu Xinnian smiled faintly.

No, he's just used to being arrogant and pretentious. In reality, his inner resilience is only so-so, and he often suffers social turmoil. He's not the kind of great master who can remain calm even if a mountain collapses in front of him. Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

Unaware of Xu Baipiao's inner thoughts, Governor Zheng remarked with a touch of nostalgia, "He reminds me of Duke Wei's youthful brilliance."

"No, Lord Zheng, does Duke Wei agree with what you're saying?" Xu Qi'an twitched the corners of his mouth, forming a forced smile, but ultimately remained silent.

Some things happen and then they happen; if they aren't dealt with, they'll feel like a fishbone stuck in your throat.

"You don't need to worry," said Governor Zheng. "A group of night Nightwatchers have checked into the post station, you understand."

Duke Wei has already taken precautions. With him protecting Lord Zheng's safety, I have nothing to worry about. Xu Qi'an felt relieved.

Goodbye!

Zheng, the provincial governor, bowed and left with Shentu Baili.

Xu Qi'an watched silently. From Chuzhou to the capital, in just ten days, Zheng Xinghuai's back had become somewhat hunched, as if something was pressing down on his shoulders, making it impossible for him to straighten up.

"Sigh," he sighed inwardly, stroked the curve of the mare's back, and then mounted her.

With the clatter of horses, the two brothers slowly made their way home.

"Lord Zheng was a pitiful man. He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 19th year of the Yuanjing era. I heard from Imperial Censor Liu that his father died early, and his widowed mother raised him with great difficulty. She finally managed to send him to the Imperial Academy, where he passed the Jinshi examination. However, due to years of hard work, she exhausted herself and died before her son could return home in glory."

As the mare walked slowly, Xu Qi'an said, "Later, because of his rigid adherence to rules and inflexibility, he offended the former prime minister and was sent to Chuzhou."

He had spent eighteen years in Chuzhou, dedicating most of his life there. And then, overnight, he turned to dust.

Xu Xinnian remained silent for a long time, his frustration building up inside him, making him extremely uncomfortable.

He vented his frustrations and sighed, "Eighteen years of trials and tribulations, half a lifetime of great achievements, now I tell them to my withered bones."

"Let's not talk about that." Seemingly trying to shake off his depressed mood, Xu Qi'an flashed a mischievous smile.

"Cijiu, how far have things progressed with Miss Wang? Have you... taught her everything you know?"

Xu Xinnian blushed and said unhappily, "How vulgar is the word 'doing'! I admit that I have feelings for Miss Wang. She is well-educated, knowledgeable, and speaks elegantly. She can talk to me about ancient and modern times."

"I have never seen a woman of such talent, apart from Princess Huaiqing. It is not surprising that I am slightly attracted to her."

My dear brother, we have the same taste. I also like talented women like Huaiqing. Oh, besides that, I also like silly girls like Lin'an, foodies like Caiwei, chivalrous women like Li Miaozhen, and pitiful girls like Zhong Li.

"Actually, I've always had reservations," Xu Xinnian said helplessly. "Wang Zhenwen is Wei Yuan's political enemy, and he might not be willing to marry Miss Simu to me. And I haven't decided to marry her yet."

Xu Qi'an stopped being glib and said thoughtfully, "We've discussed this issue more than once. A rift must be formed between you and me."

"You walk your sunny path, I'll walk my narrow bridge. Ha, isn't Duke Wei just a narrow bridge? I know your concerns, you're afraid of being forced by Wang Zhenwen to oppose me, to turn against your own family, right? Regarding this, your elder brother has a solution for you."

Xu Xinnian humbly asked for guidance, "Please speak, elder brother."

Xu Qi'an chuckled and said, "Holding your wife by your side is a matter of self-respect."

"What does this mean, brother?"

"By marrying their daughter, you've essentially taken a hostage. Unless Wang Zhenwen doesn't care about this legitimate daughter, he won't truly be heartless, no matter how bad your relationship is. If you grasp this balance, you'll be in an invincible position. Besides, you don't need to completely depend on the Wang family; you're just giving the Xu Household more options."

"That makes sense." Xu Xinnian nodded slowly.

Seeing that he seemed to understand, Xu Qi'an smiled, looked ahead, and thought about his mistress whom he kept outside.

Having not seen her for many days, I've actually grown somewhat fond of her. The charm of the most beautiful woman in the Great Feng seems rather strange; it's not as alluring as Luo Yuheng's, yet it subtly and gradually influences me?

I really want to know where she comes from.

Well, let's keep the mistress with our confidante for now, and go see her after the matter of the Prince of Zhenbei is settled. Until then, we need to be careful.

I won't accept Zhong Li's offer yet; she'll stay at the Bureau of Astronomy. I'll definitely be going out frequently these next few days, and it's inconvenient to take her with me.

I won't see Lin'an and Huaiqing either, so I definitely won't be able to enter the palace for a while. Besides, this matter concerns the royal family, and I'm implicated in it, so I don't want to see them.

Lost in thought, Xu Erlang suddenly asked, puzzled, "Brother, what do you mean by imparting all your knowledge?"

At first, he thought it was just a misunderstanding by his uncultured and crude older brother, but the more he thought about it, the more something seemed off, so he couldn't help but ask.

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment and replied, "Whether a man loves a woman or not can be seen from whether he is willing to give her everything he has."

Is that even a saying? Xu Cijiu said, "How can you tell if a woman loves a man or not?"

After his elder brother broke through to the Qi Refining Realm, he was constantly surrounded by beautiful women, and Xu Cijiu was quite Qi Ingestion with his elder brother when it came to romance.

Are you asking whether Wang Simu truly loves you? Xu Qi'an pondered for a long time before saying, "It depends on whether that woman is willing to repay you handsomely."

Xu Cijiu couldn't understand what his older brother was talking about and spent the whole journey trying to figure it out.

"Big pot."

Upon entering the mansion and arriving at the inner hall, it happened to be dinnertime.

When Xu Lingyin saw her long-lost older brother return, she didn't even eat. She took a few quick steps and excitedly rushed over, then bumped into Xu Qi'an's arms.

Xu Qi'an swayed, somewhat surprised.

Has the little one's strength increased this much in just a month and a half?

"Have you upset your mother lately?" Xu Qi'an, holding the little boy in his arms as he walked into the inner hall.

"Huh? Do I often make Mom angry?" Xu Lingyin asked in surprise.

She was such a well-behaved child, yet her mother said she didn't know what had happened to her in this life to give birth to Xu Lingyin.

It's clear that I'm different from my older brothers and sister.

Xu Lingyin still can't distinguish between her cousin and her biological brother, and always believes that her eldest brother was also born of her mother.

Xu Qi'an patted her head without saying anything.

It seems that the cultivation methods of the Power Gu Clan can only increase physical strength and do not improve intelligence; otherwise, Lina would not be in her current state.

Thinking of this, he looked at the dark-skinned man from Southern Frontier with curly hair, eyes like the blue sea, wheat-colored skin, and delicate features.

"I feel like you've changed." Little Blackie scrutinized him.

"What's different?" Xu Qi'an countered.

Lina thought for a moment, then shook her head. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt that his coordination and the way he used his muscles had improved as he walked.

"Big brother, you're back!"

The happiest person was of course Xu Lingyue, her beautiful oval face beaming with a smile as she personally served rice and set out chopsticks for Xu Qi'an.

Xu Cijiu waited a while, and seeing that his younger sister didn't care about him at all, he decided to take matters into his own hands and feed himself.

"It's good that you're back."

Second Uncle Xu had been scrutinizing his nephew, and seeing that he was safe and sound, and even more energetic than before, a smile immediately appeared on his rugged face.

"Um!"

The haughty aunt nodded in agreement, then said, "Lingyin, come down quickly, don't delay your older brother's meal."

Today, my aunt wore a plain-colored, front-opening jacket embroidered with plump crabapple blossoms, just like her own beautiful and voluptuous figure, which accentuated her full breasts and slender waist.

She wore a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), which added a touch of elegance and sophistication to her beauty.

After dinner, Xu Qi'an was invited into Xu Erlang's study.

Before they knew it, the two men began to avoid Second Uncle Xu when discussing important matters, unlike when they dealt with Zhou Xianping, the Ministry of Revenue, when the three of them discussed things together.

The two brothers thought this was a good idea. Their second uncle wasn't good at scheming and intrigue; the more he knew, the more troubled he became.

As an elder, he was thinking about how to solve the problem, rather than waiting for his nephew and son to solve it.

Protecting one's offspring from hardship is an instinct that every elder possesses, but unfortunately, Second Uncle Xu is not good at this, which only adds to his troubles.

East wing room.

Second Uncle Xu sat at the table, took a sip of tea, and sighed, "Those two bastards have already looked down on me."

The aunt, dressed in a thin white top, sat cross-legged on the bed, fiddling with her jade bracelet, and asked, "What do you mean?"

Her legs were long and shapely, and when crossed, they were quite a sight to behold.

"Alas, something big has happened in Chuzhou. Today, the officials caused a disturbance in the capital, and the news is spreading like wildfire." Second Uncle Xu frowned.

"What is it?" Auntie asked curiously.

"Why should a woman like you meddle in so many things?" Second Uncle Xu glared at her.

Just as the two brothers didn't want their Second Uncle Xu to worry too much, the Second Uncle Xu also didn't want his wife to worry unnecessarily. For a woman of her age who still thought she was in her prime, all he needed was peace and happiness.

"Brother, you haven't told me the details of what happened in Chuzhou City yet."

In the study, Xu Erlang sat at the coffee table, holding a cup of strong tea.

Xu Qi'an stood by the window, gazing at the dark and silent courtyard, and slowly said, "The Chuzhou case is far more complicated than you think."

He calmly recounted his experiences traveling north, telling Xu Cijiu bit by bit, including his empathy with Governor Zheng and witnessing the massacre in Chuzhou.

His tone was so calm, so calm that it dared not show the slightest fluctuation.

Deep sorrow leaves no tears.

"So, he was involved too."

Xu Xinnian stared blankly. The few remaining traces of loyalty to the emperor in his heart collapsed completely.

"The purpose of this mission's return to the capital is to expose the crimes of the Prince of Zhenbei to the world. Ha, Lord Zheng will not allow such a beast as the Prince of Zhenbei to be buried as a prince and to be remembered for generations as the Great Feng Protector General," Xu Qi'an sneered.

Scholars value their posthumous reputation above all else. In Zheng Xinghuai's view, if the Prince of Zhenbei could not be convicted, this would be an unsuccessful revenge and would not be considered justice for the people of Chuzhou City.

"What do Cijiu think we should do in this 'battle'?" Xu Qi'an asked, probing.

"You're already doing it," Xu Xinnian said. "With overwhelming momentum, you're forcing Emperor Yuanjing to submit. Even the emperor can't stop the surging tide of public opinion. Didn't he agree to meet with Chief Minister Wang? Let's see what happens tomorrow."

"It's a pity I can't be of much help with matters of the court anymore; it doesn't feel good to place my hopes on others," Xu Qi'an sighed.

"Big brother, you've already done enough."

Xu Xinnian was about to offer some words of comfort when he suddenly frowned, paused for a long time, and his expression slowly turned serious. "Brother, something seems wrong."

Xu Qi'an turned around and looked at him.

Xu Xinnian said in a low voice, "According to what you said, if this case was a conspiracy between Emperor Yuanjing and Prince Huai, then the mission's plan to catch him off guard was doomed to fail from the very beginning."

"Don't forget, Que Yongxiu fled, and the Prince of Zhenbei's spies also escaped. Would these people not have sent news of the Prince of Zhenbei's demise back to the capital? Perhaps while you were full of confidence, he had already received the news in advance."

"Then Emperor Yuanjing must have already figured out how to deal with it. Don't doubt it, our emperor has been playing the game of power for so many years. If he gets serious, I'm afraid even Duke Wei and Chief Minister Wang are no match for him."

"You reminded me, that's indeed the case." Xu Qi'an turned back to face the dark courtyard and said nothing more.

Xu Qi'an knew that the imperial court was not his domain. First of all, political struggles were not like solving a case, nor could they be won by a clever mind alone. Anyone who could fight their way out of the imperial examinations was a smart person.

But every year so many people experience ups and downs.

Xu Qi'an wouldn't be so arrogant as to think he could fight Emperor Yuanjing in the imperial court for three hundred rounds.

Secondly, his official rank was ultimately too low; he didn't even have the opportunity to attend court, which meant he wasn't qualified to go to the "front lines."

"Therefore, this time, the main position must be handed over to Duke Wei, Provincial Governor Zheng, and those gentlemen who are driven by fame and fortune, or who still retain a shred of justice. However, I can still exert my influence from the sidelines."

Star-Gazing Tower, Eight Trigrams Platform.

The supervisor, dressed in white robes as white as snow, with white hair and a white beard, stood at the edge of the Eight Trigrams Platform, hands behind his back, overlooking the entire capital city.

The night breeze lifted the hem of his robe and stroked his white beard, giving him an air of otherworldly grace, like a banished immortal.

"I heard that the Prince of Zhenbei died in the northern border."

A deep voice rang out, its tone low and calm, like a conversation between old friends, giving one a sense of profound mystery.

Behind the supervisor, a figure in white appeared.

The Great Feng King, Yang Qianhuan.

The master and apprentice stood back to back, both with their hands behind their backs, both dressed in snow-white robes. To be honest, it was hard to tell who was better at it for a moment.

The supervisor grunted in agreement and chuckled, "Some people are so happy they'd laugh themselves awake."

"Is the teacher referring to Wei Yuan, or someone else?" Yang Qianhuan wondered to herself, her tone remaining as detached as a hermit, as she mimicked the supervisor's "hmm."

The supervisor was used to his disciple's temper and ignored him. As long as Yang Qianhuan didn't recite "The sea has no end, the sky is the shore; the Warlock is me" in front of him, the supervisor was too lazy to argue with him.

Yang Qianhuan continued, "The one who killed the Prince of Zhenbei was a mysterious master who fought five masters alone on the ruins of Chuzhou City and killed the Prince of Zhenbei in full view of everyone, avenging the people. Afterwards, he pursued him for thousands of miles and killed Jili Zhigu."

"It's absolutely thrilling! I wish I could take his place. But then I remember Xu Ningyan didn't steal the spotlight either, which makes me feel much better. Heh heh, that kid keeps taking away my fortuitous opportunity, he's so hateful. I bet he was really envious watching that mysterious expert dominate Chuzhou."

After speaking, Yang Qianhuan, relying on the intuition of a fourth-rank Warlock, noticed that the supervisor, for the first time ever, turned around and glanced at her.

"Has the supervising teacher finally felt ashamed of the mistakes he made in the past?" Yang Qianhuan felt a surge of satisfaction.

The supervisor's eyes were filled with pity.

The next day, the courtiers gathered at the palace gates again, staging a strike and rioting. They felt as if they had been played for a fool.

After all that commotion yesterday, I thought His Majesty had compromised and invited the Grand Secretary in for a meeting. But to my surprise, Grand Secretary Wang replied: His Majesty did not see me.

How ridiculous! Do they think that by avoiding the issue, they can make it seem like it never happened?

As the incident unfolded, the massacre of Zhenbei Wang was no longer confined to official circles. People from all walks of life heard about it and were horrified.

Taverns, teahouses, and brothels—these places, which can be considered hubs for information dissemination, are always bustling with people eavesdropping and discussing.

"The Prince of Zhenbei is inhumane! 380,000 lives, an entire city! How could he be so heartless?" someone slammed their fist on the table and cursed angrily.

In the streets nowadays, insulting the Prince of Zhenbei is politically correct, and there's no need to fear being punished, because the entire officialdom is doing it. Anyone who doesn't insult the Prince of Zhenbei is considered a heartless beast.

To criticize the Prince of Zhenbei means to be a learned scholar, a champion of justice.

"Did you know that Xu Yinluo was the one who went to the Northern Border to investigate the case this time? He's truly worthy of his reputation. Without him, the crimes of the Prince of Zhenbei would still remain unexposed."

"There's no case in this world that Xu Yinluo can't solve. With Xu Yinluo around, I feel that the imperial court is still a good one, because evildoers can no longer escape justice."

"But I've heard that Xu Yinluo is powerless to handle matters of the imperial court."

"That's alright. The civil and military officials will naturally take over from Xu Yinluo. Have you heard? Xu Yinluo's cousin, that top scholar in the imperial examination, cursed at the palace gate for two whole hours yesterday, until dusk. And he went again today."

"That's really impressive."

Inside the palace.

The old eunuch, his head throbbing with pain, stepped across the threshold, his face pale with anger. "Your Majesty, that Xu Xinnian is shouting and cursing outside again. He's utterly hateful, deserving of death!"

Emperor Yuanjing sat on his large chair, holding a Daoist scripture in his hand. Upon hearing this, he replied calmly, "Killing him would truly be an unstoppable force, incurring the wrath of the masses."

The old emperor remained calm and asked, "What did Wei Yuan do yesterday?"

The old eunuch unconsciously whispered, "Duke Wei secretly met with Chief Minister Wang last night."

The implication is that the two fierce tigers in the imperial court have secretly formed an alliance.

Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen symbolize the two largest factions in the court. If they join forces, no one can stand against them. Even His Majesty has suffered losses at their hands.

The sale of official positions and titles was rampant back then, but it was later extinguished by the two of them working together. Within five years, most of the officials who had been sold and the titles that had been bestowed were either dismissed or beheaded, and the chief minister Wang recovered them.

The old emperor smiled, seemingly disdainful, and then asked, "Is there anything unusual in the palace?"

The old eunuch whispered, "Things are calm, but Princess Lin'an returned to the palace yesterday. As for Princess Huaiqing..."

The old emperor narrowed his eyes. "What happened to Huaiqing?"

"They've left the palace and returned to Huaiqing Prefecture."

After a long silence, the old emperor grunted and instructed, "If Lin'an comes to request an audience later, tell her to go back."

Day three.

The court officials still gathered at the palace gates, but observant people would notice that although the number remained the same, some powerful ministers were absent today.

At the Nightwatchers's office, Xu Qi'an met the head guard of Princess Huaiqing's residence. The head guard had come on the orders of the princess to invite Xu Qi'an to the princess's residence for a chat.

P. S.: I was supposed to update at 5 PM today, but I was in pretty good shape, so I wrote an extra 2,000 words. That's a 6,000-word chapter.

Thank you "Shenchao_Chuangshu" for the donation. Chuangshu is really interesting, and he speaks so well. I really enjoy listening to him talk in the group. This is Chuangshu's main account. His alternate account is also a leader.