Xu Qi'an: There are no useless fish in my pond

After Aunt Zhang left, Xu Qi'an led the mare into the yard and tied it to the trunk of the small banyan tree.

It was only then that he realized that in just a few days, the once desolate courtyard had been filled with flowers of all kinds of beauty, and bees and butterflies were dancing among the flowers.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of flowers.

Xu Qi'an glanced at them briefly and saw many precious varieties, some of which were worth more than ten taels of silver.

He knew the prices of these rare varieties because his aunt spent every day tending to potted plants, and after spring, she spent more than two hundred taels of silver on this.

Xu Qi'an certainly wouldn't ask how much money his aunt spent on expensive flower seeds, since it wasn't his money. The main problem was that his aunt's beloved potted plants were always being knocked over by Xu Lingyin.

Every time, her aunt would fly into a rage and scold her, then nag, "Do you know how much these flowers are worth, you brat?"

"What's the deal with these flowers?" Xu Qi'an asked calmly.

"The yard was too plain, so I bought some flowers and planted them there," the princess said calmly.

"The money I gave you isn't enough to buy these flowers," Xu Qi'an muttered to himself, but outwardly remained calm, simply saying "Oh" to appear as if it were a casual question and that he had no interest in the flowers.

He thought to himself, if the seeds were bought, then it would make sense. To grow seeds into a garden full of flowers in just half a month—was that the power of the Flower Goddess? If this woman were thrown into the desert, she would be a blessing to the whole world!

Following this line of thought, he thought of that small section of lotus root. If the princess were to cultivate the lotus root, could it be brought back to life?

Master Jinlian said that heavenly materials and earthly treasures cannot be cultivated alone, but what if the person cultivating them is the Flower Goddess?

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an felt a little excited, but he managed to maintain his composure.

Seeing his lack of interest, the princess secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"What happened to Aunt Zhang just now?" Xu Qi'an asked as he walked into the house.

He followed the aroma into the house, walked to the stove, lifted the lid of the pot, and found boiled salted peanuts with some spices inside.

"She lives nearby. She was at our house a few days ago. I fell outside and felt sorry for her, so I helped her out. Ever since then, she's often come over to help me. She even brings me peanuts."

The princess sat on a small wooden stool, a small bowl resting on her lap, and said:

"Her son is in the medicinal herb business; he reportedly owns several shops both inside and outside the city. Because his wife doesn't like her, he bought a small house nearby for his elderly mother. She tells everyone how filial her son is, buying her a house."

Xu Qi'an leaned against the stove, eating salted peanuts, and threw the peanut shells at her feet, grumbling, "What happened just now?"

The princess shrank back, glared angrily, and sneered, "I said my husband is dead, and a little thug next door is lusting after my beauty. He's tried to take advantage of me several times."

"So I sold my house and moved here. I never expected him to come looking for me, saying he'd come over to stay every two days."

Xu Qi'an scoffed, "Coveting your good looks? Your Highness, take a look in the mirror before you speak."

The princess retorted angrily, "You're not allowed to eat my peanuts!"

"Let's eat."

"You're not allowed to eat it."

"Let's eat."

Xu Qi'an spent the entire morning in the princess's courtyard, sitting there weaving bamboo baskets, repairing wooden buckets, making small hoes, chopping firewood, and even building a small stove for her to boil water.

While he worked, the princess sat on a bamboo chair watching, somewhat lost in thought.

When it was almost time, she quietly got up and went into the kitchen, where she perfunctorily cooked a few dishes.

"Is it tasty?"

At the dining table, she rested her chin on her hand and blinked as she looked at Xu Qi'an.

"This is absolutely awful," Xu Qi'an said insincerely. "Your cooking skills have improved."

The princess immediately laughed, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons, and hummed, "Then you'll eat it all."

And what about you?

"I'm not hungry, I'm full from eating peanuts."

Xu Qi'an nodded and buried himself in his food. Before long, he had finished all the dishes she had cooked, almost licking the plate clean. The princess stared at him in surprise.

She knows her own culinary skills very well; after all, the tongue doesn't lie.

That's life, isn't it? Simple meals are the real deal.

As Xu Qi'an spoke, he glanced at the proud princess. She seemed somewhat moved, her gaze softening considerably, but she concealed it well.

Seeing this, he reached into his robes, gently tapped the mirror, and poured out a small piece of lotus root.

"I went to Jianzhou this time; I didn't break my promise and not accompany you on purpose," Xu Qi'an apologized sincerely.

"Who needs you to accompany me?" The princess pouted and turned her head away.

"It wasn't a wasted trip; I found something interesting." Xu Qi'an placed the lotus root on the table and said, "It was a gift from a senior. It was said to be a treasure, but it's withered now."

The lotus root was dull in color, with many wrinkles on the surface, and appeared shrunken overall.

"What is this?" The princess's attention was drawn.

"I'm not entirely sure, but they say it's a treasure." Xu Qi'an sighed.

"This thing is quite important to me, but it seems unlikely to survive. Even if it withers, it's still a kind of medicine, so at least the trip wasn't a complete waste."

Mu Nanzhi was very sensitive about her identity, and Xu Qi'an didn't want her to know that he had seen through her true form, so as not to cause her unnecessary panic.

The princess thought for a moment, took the lotus root, wiped it on her sleeve, then showed her little white teeth and took a bite.

Xu Qi'an was caught off guard and had no time to stop it.

The princess chewed a few times, swallowed, and commented with considerable pleasure, "It's quite sweet. Hmm, it's still alive; it'll be fine after a while."

"!!!"

Xu Qi'an was shocked, overwhelmed with joy. He hadn't expected such a casual attempt to elicit such a response.

If this small section of lotus root can be successfully cultivated, there will be a second nine-colored lotus in the world, capable of growing on its own and producing lotus pods.

Xu Qi'an had witnessed the miraculous power of lotus seeds, and from now on, he would receive twenty-four lotus seeds every sixty years.

This, this.

Furthermore, if the lotus root can grow, the conditions for the Martial Alliance Ancestor to break through his cultivation will be met. If he can use the lotus root to advance to the second rank, he will owe me an enormous favor.

In the future, when confronting the mysterious Warlock, the patriarch of the martial arts alliance will become one of his greatest trump cards.

Xu Qi'an's heart secretly warmed. He tried his best to suppress his excitement and calmly said, "Then you can try. Hmm, if you don't manage to raise it, remember to return it to me. I have another use for it."

If I fail to raise them, I will take them to report to the Imperial Advisor.

The princess nodded.

Wait a minute, why did the Imperial Preceptor send me to ask for this lotus root? She is the head of the Human Sect and should know that the Nine-Colored Lotus Root is difficult to cultivate, so her purpose is most likely to refine medicine.

If it's for alchemy, why specifically tell me to go and ask for it? Was it just a casual remark, or was there another purpose?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at the princess.

That shouldn't be the case. Luo Yuheng couldn't possibly know that I've been secretly keeping her. Um, I'm not familiar with the Imperial Advisor either, and I don't know her well enough to draw any conclusions hastily.

I thought the princess was just a lucky charm, and that all she had to do was be beautiful. I never expected her to give me such a big surprise. Every fish in my fishpond is useful! Xu Qi'an exclaimed sincerely.

At this moment, the princess hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "I... I've run out of money."

At this point, seemingly uncomfortable asking a man for money—as it would make her appear like someone's kept concubine—she turned her face away and said in a barely audible whisper:

"Could you... could you give me a little more?"

"Didn't I just give you fifteen taels before I left? You've almost spent it all in five days?" Xu Qi'an glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Noticing his silence, the princess abruptly turned her head, glanced at him, then turned her face away again, coldly saying, "Fine, if you don't want to give it to me, then forget it."

She felt somewhat wronged.

Xu Qi'an poured out five silver ingots from the fragments of the Earth Book, each ingot weighing ten taels, and placed them one by one on the table. Then he broke them into pieces like sesame cakes, shaping them into individual pieces.

"As a woman, it's best not to use official silver or silver ingots; loose silver is enough. That way, it won't attract unwanted attention. I was just thinking that I didn't consider this when I gave you the silver ingots last time, and I feel very guilty about it."

"Since I can't always be with you, I should pay more attention to these details. This was my mistake, and I won't do it again."

His tone was sincere, and his expression was genuine.

The princess continued to look out the door, but gave a soft "hmm" to indicate that she was no longer angry.

For the next half day, Xu Qi'an took the princess to stroll through the bustling market, buying rouge and face powder, adding vegetables, rice, oil, salt, and beautiful clothes. Before dusk, he led the little mare, who had been neglected for half a day, away.

He had barely left when Aunt Zhang arrived.

Looking at the large and small bags of items in the house, Aunt Zhang exclaimed in surprise, "Madam Mu, your husband has left? Tsk tsk, buying so much stuff must have cost several tens of taels of silver!"

Aunt Zhang glanced around and noticed that they were all her daughter's belongings and items. She exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my, your husband is so good to you!"

The princess was a little smug, her eyes crinkling into a smile, but in front of outsiders, she never revealed her true nature, and said with dignified gentleness:

"My husband works as a security guard for a wealthy family. He's rarely home, and even when he is, he has to go back before dusk. I was angry with him for ignoring me this morning, so I lied to you. Please don't take offense, Aunt Zhang."

As he spoke, he handed over a packet of mutton and a box of rouge.

Aunt Zhang quickly waved her hand, "An old woman like me doesn't need these things. I'll take the mutton."

The old woman's smile became much warmer.

She didn't doubt Mu Nanzhi's words. If it were a pretty young woman, Aunt Zhang might have suspected that she was some rich man's mistress.

Although this Lady Mu had a voluptuous and shapely figure, her face was rather plain. Even the most lecherous men in the marketplace wouldn't have any improper thoughts about such an ordinary-looking woman.

The Xu Residence.

Xu Qi'an, dressed in a black outfit, led his mare home; he had changed out of the brocade robe he wore at the brothel.

He was too lazy to change back into it.

At the dinner table, Second Uncle Xu, while drinking, asked, "Where did you go this time?"

Xu Qi'an lowered his head and ate his food. "Jianzhou, I got into a fight for a friend."

"The Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect and Lina are going too?"

"Um."

Second Uncle Xu seized the opportunity to teach his nephew a lesson. "Stop fighting all the time. There's always someone better. Jianzhou is the holy land of Great Feng Martial Dao in Dafeng, with countless masters."

"Judging from your expression, it means your friend hasn't offended any powerful figures, otherwise..."

Xu Xinnian swallowed his rice and said, "Jianzhou, the one with the Martial Alliance?"

"That's right. The Jianzhou Martial Arts Alliance is incredibly powerful; even the local government has to bow down to them. Moreover, they are extremely united; offending one will bring down a whole group."

"The leader of the Martial Arts Alliance is Cao Qingyang, ranked among the top three in the martial arts world, right, Dad?"

"Yes, Jianzhou is a forbidden land for villains in the martial arts world, the exact opposite of Yunzhou. Cao Qingyang is a powerful and ruthless figure in the martial arts world."

The aunt, a simple woman, listened with great interest and asked, "Is he even more impressive than Ningyan?"

In her aunt's eyes, her unlucky nephew was like the world's number one martial arts master; though she didn't say it, she was very Qi Ingestion.

Second Uncle pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Ningyan is still far from being able to compete with that alliance leader. Besides, they don't give face to the government."

He knew his nephew was a sixth-rank official.

Upon hearing this, the aunt quickly said, "It's a good thing Ningyan didn't get into any trouble. Why did he go to Jianzhou to fight for no reason?"

Xu Lingyue spoke up for her elder brother, saying softly, "Father, my brother knows how to behave. The Martial Alliance is so powerful, he won't provoke them."

Xu Qi'an ate his meal in silence.

After dinner, Xu Xinnian put down his chopsticks and said, "Brother, come to my study."

The two brothers walked out of the front hall side by side and went into the study.

Xu Xinnian closed the door, walked straight to the desk, pulled out a thick stack of papers, and said, "All the daily records of Emperor Yuanjing from his ascension to the 20th year of his reign are here."

Xu Qi'an glanced at it, closed his eyes, and said helplessly, "Your cursive script is incorrect. In just five days, you've collected twenty years' worth of Emperor Yuanjing's daily records?"

Meeting his elder brother's shocked gaze, Xu Erlang raised his chin, displaying a smug yet forcedly composed demeanor, and said:

"I have been promoted to the seventh rank. In Confucian School, the seventh rank is called the Benevolent One. To reach this rank, one must understand benevolence and righteousness. The Benevolent One loves all under heaven and is a moral exemplar. Only the Benevolent One can cultivate Vast Righteous Qi. Therefore, the seventh rank of the Benevolent One is the foundation of the fourth Gentleman Realm.

"Of course, I'm still far from reaching the fourth rank, so this isn't something to be happy about; for me, it's just a small step."

"If it's nothing to be happy about, then why are you rambling on and on?" Xu Qi'an thought to himself. After a moment's thought, he asked:

"Does the Benevolent One receive any combat power bonus?"

Xu Erlang's face suddenly stiffened. "No, it just strengthened my memory and physique."

"Pfft, isn't that still a weakling?" Xu Qi'an suppressed a laugh, picked up the daily logbook, and read it carefully.

This cursive script is truly awful. Xu Qi'an looked at it for a moment and wanted to curse.

Ancient cursive script was like a celebrity's autograph from a past life—not meant for public display. Of course, scholars could understand it because cursive script has a fixed form.

But Xu Qi'an was not a scholar.

"Read it to me."

". All right."

The two brothers, one listening and the other reciting, exchanged two candles.

During this time, Xu Erlang kept drinking tea to soothe his throat and went to the toilet twice.

The emperor's daily records document his words and actions during daily life and in the course of discussions.

Xu Erlang did not record everything; he automatically deleted some obviously meaningless everyday conversations.

They didn't finish reading it until late at night.

Xu Qi'an kept his eyes closed for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until he had fully digested the information. He then opened his eyes and said with some disappointment:

"It has no value, at least I can't see it right now."

Xu Erlang asked, "What exactly do you want to investigate about Emperor Yuanjing?"

"I don't know, I just feel there's something wrong with him. Well, not just feel, there really is something wrong. After returning from Jianzhou, I'm even more certain that our Emperor isn't as simple as he seems on the surface."

"But I can't say for sure what the problem is; there's no clear direction. We can only try to gather information about his past deeds and see if we can find any clues."

Xu Qi'an said.

"Yuan Jing's political skills were unparalleled; how could they be simple?"

Xu Erlang muttered a complaint, then said, "Whether he has a problem or not, I don't know, but I do know there's something wrong with this daily log."

Xu Qi'an was taken aback. "What's wrong with the daily log?"

P. S.: I felt like I wrote 40,000 words, but it's only 4,000. I'm going bald. 6,000 words is indeed the human limit, and I'm pushing that limit every day. I'm updating 8,000 words a day.