An old case

The Imperial Preceptor has actually graced us with his presence, and in his true form no less? Daoist Jinlian has such great influence! Xu Qi'an marveled at Daoist Jinlian's esteemed status while bowing with a sense of overwhelming flattery.

"Greetings, Imperial Preceptor."

Upon re-examining Luo Yuheng, he noticed some differences. The Luo Yuheng he had seen at Lingbao Temple was beautiful, but she was still made of flesh and blood.

The female imperial advisor he saw before him radiated a holy glow; if he had to describe her, "skin as pure as ice and bones as beautiful as jade" would be the best description.

Luo Yuheng glanced at him and said calmly, "This is a Yang Spirit."

A third-rank Yang God of the Yang God Daoist School? A legendary Yang God who is not afraid of wind and thunder and can roam the void? Xu Qi'an looked surprised, his eyes glued to the screen like he was watching a giant panda.

Luo Yuheng's delicate brows furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in her clear eyes. She asked indifferently, "What do you want?"

Realizing that his gaze had unintentionally offended the Imperial Advisor, Xu Qi'an quickly sat up straight, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead, and said in a deep voice, "There is something I wish to tell the Imperial Advisor."

He paused, then carefully said, "In the Chuzhou massacre, Emperor Yuanjing and Prince Huai conspired, one refining the Blood Pill and the other refining the Soul Pill. Prince Huai refined the Blood Pill to break through to the Great Perfection of the Third Rank, and then devour the Princess's spiritual essence."

Now that they've fallen out, there's no need to pretend to address him as "Your Majesty." As for the princess's secret, Xu Qi'an doesn't believe that a dignified second-rank Daoist leader wouldn't know that the princess possesses spiritual essence.

"What I want to know is, what was the purpose of Emperor Yuanjing's refining of the Soul Pill?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yuheng frowned, pondered for a few seconds, and slowly said, "Yuan Jing has cultivated for twenty years and has barely reached the sixth rank of Yin Shen realm. Core formation is still a long way off."

This... this... after twenty years of cultivation, he's still only a sixth-grade cultivator? I don't even know how to begin to complain. With the resources of the entire nation, even a pig should have reached the Core Formation stage by now!

Was Emperor Yuanjing's talent for Daoist cultivation equal to Xu Lingyin's talent for academics?

Xu Qi'an gathered his thoughts and said, "Could it be... a disguise?"

Luo Yuheng glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Xu Qi'an bowed repeatedly to express his apology.

Such questioning is disrespectful to a second- Daoist School Daoist master.

Luo Yuheng continued, "Yuan Jing's soul was born weak, which is why he has poor aptitude for cultivation."

Master Jinlian had said that the Soul Pill could enhance the Primordial Spirit. Could it be that Emperor Yuanjing wanted to compensate for his congenital defects? Xu Qi'an wondered to himself, then heard Luo Yuheng frown and say:

"However, there are many ways to enhance one's Primordial Spirit; meditation and consuming food are both acceptable, and it is not necessary to refine a soul pill."

Xu Qi'an nodded. "In other words, the Soul Pill has another function."

From a psychological perspective, only madmen are reckless, but Emperor Yuanjing was not a madman; on the contrary, he was a cunning and scheming ruler.

He would definitely weigh the consequences before doing anything, and he would only do it if the benefits were substantial enough. If the Soul Pill was merely to stabilize his foundation at the sixth rank, he was unlikely to actively plan a massacre of the city; the cost would be too high.

At most, it would just be tacit approval of the Prince of Huai.

Luo Yuheng countered with, "What's your opinion?"

Xu Qi'an smiled wryly, "Lacking clues, I can't guess. I'll try to investigate this matter. As for the Imperial Advisor, just keep it to yourself."

He believed that with the wisdom of a second-rank expert, he wouldn't need to give too many explanations or instructions; a reminder would suffice.

Luo Yuheng hummed in agreement and asked, "Was the Princess really kidnapped by the barbarians, and then there was no news of her?"

Xu Qi'an sighed with regret, "Yes, what a pity for the most beautiful woman in the Great Feng. The Prince of Huai is dead, and the Princess Consort is probably gone too."

He appropriately expressed some regret, fully conveying the sorrow of a normal man for the tragic fate of a stunningly beautiful woman.

Luo Yuheng glanced at him without showing any emotion, remained silent for a moment, and then casually asked, "I heard from Jinlian that you discovered High Antiquity sexual techniques in the underground palace tomb outside Yongzhou City?"

Why are you asking this? Xu Qi'an paused for a moment, then answered truthfully, "Yes."

"Have you fully grasped its meaning?"

As she asked the question, Luo Yuheng's beautiful eyes were fixed intently on him.

"I've never practiced this before. I heard from Daoist Jinlian that this technique requires a man and a woman who are both skilled in sexual arts to cultivate together; it's not something you can do by simply finding a woman."

Even though Xu Qi'an was a seasoned veteran, he still felt somewhat awkward discussing such private matters with a stunningly beautiful woman.

Luo Yuheng nodded slightly.

Xu Qi'an saw a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

"The massacre of Chuzhou is temporarily over, and Yuan Jing is eager for this matter to pass quickly. He will definitely not retaliate against you in the near future," Luo Yuheng advised.

"As for what happens next, be on your own. If you discover any signs of retaliation, immediately have your family resign from their official posts and wait for a later reinstatement."

Xu Qi'an nodded; this was the price of offending an emperor.

The mastermind behind the scenes has not yet shown any signs of making a move, which is a distant threat, while Emperor Yuanjing is an immediate worry.

I must improve my cultivation level extremely quickly so that I can protect myself.

"Keep this talisman sword safe. In a moment of crisis, activate it with your qi; it can barely count as one of my attacks. If you need to make contact, simply infuse it with your divine sense."

Luo Yuheng's spirit transformed into golden light and fled.

Xu Qi'an put away the talisman sword and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Short-term goal: advance to the fifth rank. Then investigate Emperor Yuanjing. Heh, I never thought I'd have a day to investigate an emperor."

"Zhong Li, Zhong Li."

Xu Qi'an stepped out of the house and looked around.

"I'm here," Zhong Li replied weakly, sitting by the window with her knees drawn up to her chest.

Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that he wasn't hurt.

He led Zhong Li past Xu Erlang's study and looked through the window. Xu Erlang and Chu Yuanzhen were drinking and chatting happily, while the scholar continued his empty talk with his hands in his pockets.

Well, given Brother Chu's experience in dealing with people and things, knowing that Erlang "does not want to reveal his identity," he will not rashly mention the fragments of the Earth Book.

Erlang was able to chat with Chu Yuanzhen for so long; no wonder he was the top scholar in the imperial examination and a second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest level of the imperial examinations). His abilities are quite impressive.

As they arrived at Li Miaozhen's room, they heard Su Su's clear voice calling from inside, "Dad, hey, Dad, hey."

Like a broken record, he repeated it over and over again, looking extremely happy.

"Have you already started practicing how to call me 'Dad'? Don't call me 'Dad,' call me 'Papa.'" Xu Qi'an pushed open the door and entered the room.

Su Su, wearing an exquisite and complicated white dress, giggled and said, "It's none of your business. That stupid kid in your family is so funny. The master taught you how to read and write "Dad". The master said: Dad."

Your silly kid said, "Hey!"

Su Su laughed so hard her feet slipped, and she fell face-first onto the table, trembling uncontrollably.

Xu Qi'an: "."

No wonder Li Miaozhen looked like she was questioning the meaning of life at the time.

Why was Chu Yuanzhen so furious? He thought for a moment, then refrained from asking, not wanting to reopen his companion's wounds.

"I need to go out for a bit. If you're free, would you like to come with me?" Xu Qi'an asked the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect.

The saintess's face clearly showed her displeasure, and she said irritably, "If you have something to say, just say it. Don't disturb my cultivation."

"Your tone is a bit harsh," Xu Qi'an explained. "Don't take your anger out on me because of the little one."

"I know of a private residence belonging to the Duke of Cao, which hides something extraordinary. Shall we go explore it together?"

"Now that you mention it, I'm interested." Li Miaozhen smiled and said, "Okay."

The Duke of Cao's private residence was a small courtyard by a lake, a few miles from the imperial city.

It's called a small courtyard, but it's actually quite large, with two sections. The gate is locked, and no one has lived there for a long time.

Li Miaozhen squinted as she examined the house, and sneered, "A private residence like this, not far from the capital, in a good location, and quiet, must cost at least eight thousand taels of silver."

"The Duke of Cao has more than a dozen such private residences, which he uses to keep Keeping a Beauty in a Golden House. It is utterly hateful and deserving of death."

"Sorry, not long from now, I'll also be a man who buys a private residence and keeps a mistress." Xu Qi'an said this in a silent mockery, glancing around, but his martial artist's instinctive intuition for danger gave him no indication.

With no one lying in ambush nearby, Duke Cao's private residence was indeed well-hidden.

Seeing that no one was around, Xu Qi'an, Li Miaozhen, and Zhong Li leaped over the high wall and landed lightly in the courtyard.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Xu Qi'an suddenly turned around, opened his arms, and the next moment, Zhong Li, whose toes had been twisted while climbing over the wall, buried her head in his arms.

Senior Sister Zhong's body was soft and supple; even through her cloth robes, one could feel the elasticity of her skin.

"Thank you." Zhong Li was somewhat pleased; her face had already fallen to the ground.

"You're welcome. Practice makes perfect," Xu Qi'an said with a smile.

"..." Li Miaozhen opened her mouth, then sighed with pity.

A fifth-rank Warlock, a prophet, has ruined countless promising talents.

This courtyard has been uninhabited for a long time, but it does not appear dilapidated, presumably because the Duke of Cao regularly sends people to maintain and clean it.

After crossing the courtyard and entering the inner hall, the three of them explored the place and found that it was just an ordinary house, unused and without anything particularly valuable.

"There must be a hidden room," Li Miaozhen analyzed.

"It's not a dark room, it's a cellar."

Meeting the surprised gaze of the Heavenly Sect Saintess, Xu Qi'an explained, "The structure of the house and the size of the interior are insufficient to hide a secret room."

Li Miaozhen suddenly realized, untied the sachet, and gently patted it. Wisps of green smoke rose out and disappeared into the ground.

A moment later, a wisp of green smoke returned and whispered ghostly words in Li Miaozhen's ear.

Li Miaozhen listened for a moment, then said, "Come with me."

She led Xu Qi'an and Zhong Li to the study connected to the master bedroom, pushed open the large chair behind the desk, and stomped on it forcefully.

"Boom!"

The floor tiles shattered, revealing a dark hole. Steep stone steps led down to the cellar.

The three of them followed the stone steps into the cellar, their footsteps echoing in the stifling air.

The cellar was not deep, just like the cellars that ordinary wealthy families used to store ice and vegetables. However, the Duke of Cao used it to store precious antiques.

Li Miaozhen lit the oil lamps embedded in the wall, one after another, bringing a fiery glow to the dark cellar.

The cellar was filled with rows and rows of display shelves, displaying all sorts of antiques, including porcelain vases, jade artifacts, bronze animal figurines, luminous pearls, and more.

It was dazzling to look at.

The world is not lacking in beauty, but rather in eyes that can see it. This famous saying came to Xu Qi'an's mind.

Then he heard Li Miaozhen say, "Every item here is very valuable. If we exchange them for silver, we can save many homeless and starving refugees."

As she said these words, her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"?"

Xu Qi'an stiffened his neck and slowly turned his head to look at her.

"Is this all I brought you here for? Believe me or not, I'll kill you to silence you!" He coughed.

"That's true, but one should do charity within one's means. Only a fool would do something like going bankrupt for charity."

"Isn't this ill-gotten wealth?" Li Miaozhen asked, glancing at him sideways.

Are you sure you're the Supreme Forgetfulness Li Miaozhen?

"I'll give you 30% for doing good deeds." Xu Qi'an waved his hand, unwilling to discuss further, and instead said:

"These things either came from embezzlement and bribery, or from other shady channels."

Zhong Li stretched out her small hand and picked up a blue ice bead. Its texture was clear, as if it contained a blue ocean, and it reflected a breathtaking light in the glow of the oil lamp.

"These are mermaid pearls, a specialty of the South China Sea Kingdom. They are extremely precious and are tribute items." As a disciple of the Bureau of Astronomy, Zhong Li's knowledge of luxury goods far surpasses that of Xu Baipiao and the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect.

Embezzling tribute goods?!

Xu Qi'an understood; no wonder Duke Cao had specially purchased a private residence to house these things.

Next, he took out the fragments of the Earth Book and put these precious items into the Mirror World one by one. However, he had a headache dealing with the more fragile items, such as porcelain.

"There are boxes here, put them in the boxes." Li Miaozhen pointed to a corner deep in the cellar.

With a snap, the box opened.

There was no mesmerizing golden or silver light shimmering within, which Xu Qi'an somewhat disappointed.

The box contained stacks of secret letters. Xu Qi'an unfolded and read a few, his breathing suddenly becoming rapid.

He flipped through the past documents one by one, quickly browsing through them. These secret letters were records kept by the Duke of Cao, records of his corruption and abuse of power.

Some of these crimes can be traced back to a decade or two ago, involving embezzlement of tribute, misappropriation of disaster relief funds and grain, and occupation of military farmland. Among those who colluded with them were civil officials, nobles, and members of the imperial family.

If these secret letters were exposed, it would definitely cause turmoil in the court, and countless people would be implicated in the power struggles.

"Give these secret letters to Duke Wei Duke Wei."

Xu Qi'an's subconscious, instinctive reaction was to hand it over to Wei Yuan, so that he could control the information and increase Wei Yuan's political capital.

A few seconds later, he calmed down.

No rush. Even if we're going to give it to Duke Wei, there's no need to rush. No, we can't give it all to Wei Yuan. We have to leave some for Erlang. He also needs political capital.

Thinking to himself, he pulled out another secret letter from the bottom and began to read it.

"In the 15th year of Yuanjing (1094), he joined forces with the Wang faction, the Yan faction, Prince Yu, and other relatives and nobles to eliminate Su Hang, completely purging the faction. Su Hang was executed, the women in his household were sent to the Imperial Academy of Music, and the men were exiled. He accepted bribes of 8,000 taels each from the Yan faction and the Wang faction."

Su Hang, that name sounds familiar. A thought flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind, then he heard Li Miaozhen's face turn pale as she blurted out, "Su Su's father!"

According to Xu Qi'an's vivid memory, Su Su's father was named Su Hang. He was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the 29th year of the Zhen De era. In the 14th year of the Yuan Jing era, for some unknown reason, he was demoted back to Jiangzhou to serve as the prefect. The following year, he was executed for bribery and embezzlement.

Did Su Su's father really die in factional strife, or was it a joint effort by so many parties?

"So it turns out that Su Su's father was killed by them. The Yan faction, the Wang faction, and even nobles and relatives like Prince Yu," Li Miaozhen said indignantly.

"No, this letter has a big problem." Xu Qi'an pointed to a blank space on the secret letter and frowned. "Look, why is there a blank space before 'Party'? What Party are you talking about, thoroughly purging it?"

In front of the word "party", there is a blank space, which is exactly the width of one word.

"Could there be some reason why Duke Cao was wary and didn't write down that faction?" Li Miaozhen speculated.

"If that's the reason, he could have simply not written it, or used a code name instead. Besides, they've already been wiped out, what is there to be afraid of?" Xu Qi'an shook his head, denying Li Miaozhen's guess, and pointed to the secret letter, saying:

"It looks like there were words written on it, but then some force forcibly erased them, leaving only blank spaces."

Li Miaozhen frowned, feigning an effort to analyze the situation. After a long while, she erased the question mark from her mind, gave up thinking, and asked:

What are your thoughts?

Since she has an experienced and highly skilled reasoner by her side, why should she use her own brain?

"What opinion can I possibly have? This little bit of information is simply not enough for me to form a hypothesis. Hmm, didn't you say that Su Su's father's file couldn't be found in Jiangzhou?"

"Then let's find an opportunity to investigate at the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Justice, or perhaps the Court of Judicial Review. We'll decide what to do once we find more clues."

Xu Qi'an sighed, "But one thing is certain: Su Su's father's death is not simple. It's definitely not just normal corruption and bribery; it involves factional strife and probably involves quite a few people. I feel that if we follow this line, we might be able to uncover a lot more."

Immediately, they put the porcelain into a box, then put the box into the fragments of the Book of Earth, and swept away all the valuables in the private residence.

Of course, Xu Qi'an didn't forget to take the land deed and house deed with him.

He planned to sell the house and then buy a small courtyard near the Xu Residence to house the princess.

The three returned to the Xu Residence. Su Su was sitting on the roof ridge, enjoying the scenery, holding a bright red paper umbrella.

In the courtyard, Xu Lingyin, practiced boxing in a very professional manner, honing her Qi and Blood. She even gave herself a voiceover. "Hey ho hey ho!"

Two thin, light eyebrows stood up, making a fierce expression.

Chu Caiwei and Lina chatted idly on the sidelines, offering each other guidance.

Su Su sat on the rooftop watching the commotion. The wind tousled her hair and lifted her skirt, making her look like a fairy descended from heaven, stunningly beautiful.

Li Miaozhen stood in the courtyard, looked up, and beckoned. "Susu, come down, I have something to tell you."

Okay!

Su Su smiled gently and landed lightly.

The little boy pointed at Susu and said to Lina and Caiwei, "I want to learn this too."

"You can't do it, you're too fat," Lina and Caiwei refused outright.

The little boy got angry and ignored them, then ran over and hugged his older brother's leg.

"Big brother, am I fat?" Xu Lingyin tried to regain her confidence from her older brother.

"You're not fat, you just have fatty liver." Xu Qi'an patted her head.

"Mom is Dad's precious darling, and I'm my older brother's fatty liver, right?" Xu Lingyin still remembered this conversation; her older brother had told her this before.

"Yes, yes, yes."

The little boy ran back to Lina and Chu Caiwei and loudly announced, "Mom is Dad's little darling, and I'm Big Brother's fatty liver."

"Shut up!"

Her aunt came out of the house, her face flushed with embarrassment. She grabbed Xu Lingyin all over the yard, but she couldn't catch up with her.

My aunt was furious and yelled.

Xu Qi'an and the others entered the room. Li Miaozhen pressed Su Su down by the table and said with a serious expression, "We've found clues about your father's execution."

Su Su's delicate body visibly trembled, the faint smile on her lips slowly faded, her lively and bright eyes dimmed, and then a look of sorrow and confusion flashed across them.

Her eyes welled up with tears as she stared blankly at Xu Qi'an: "You found out?"