A secret conversation

Luo Yuheng needs a man with good fortune to cultivate with her. She became the Imperial Preceptor, but she has always been unwilling to cultivate with Emperor Yuanjing.

Master Jinlian probably knows about my good fortune. She has asked Luo Yuheng for medicine many times and specifically asked me to go.

Before departing for Chuzhou, Luo Yuheng asked Chu Yuanzhen to give me a talisman sword.

When I was guarding the lotus seed in Jianzhou, Master Jinlian forcibly gave me the talisman, telling me to call upon Luo Yuheng in a moment of crisis, and she really did come.

Various details, some seemingly reasonable and some unreasonable, flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind one by one.

If you're going to do that, then I'm in for a world of trouble! A complicated expression appeared on his face.

"But I heard that the Imperial Preceptor did not choose to cultivate with Yuan Jing."

Xu Qi'an composed himself and spoke in a casual tone.

The princess looked up, a thoughtful expression on her face, and shook her head.

"Well, I don't know about that. I often advise her to just submit to Emperor Yuanjing. Choosing an emperor as dao companion wouldn't be a bad thing for her."

"But she seemed dissatisfied with Emperor Yuanjing, dissatisfied with everything about him. No, I could sense her disdain for him."

It's rejected from all sides, not just because of a lack of luck. Xu Qi'an's eyes flashed, and he asked:

"A woman of the Imperial Preceptor's level of cultivation wouldn't be like ordinary women, focusing on the rigid etiquette of the Three Obediences and Four Virtues."

The princess hummed in agreement. "Luo Yuheng would naturally not, but what does choosing dao companion have to do with formalities? Choosing dao companion is an extremely serious matter."

"This Luo Yuheng is a shark!" Xu Qi'an's heart sank.

Dual cultivation is about choosing dao companion, which shows Luo Yuheng's seriousness about matters between men and women. Therefore, after examining Emperor Yuanjing, she was really just using luck to suppress her karmic fire and never thought about dual cultivation with him.

If my earlier guess is true, Luo Yuheng is also testing me.

Once she decides to try dual cultivation with me, it means she's choosing dao companion.

Given how much my aunt values her dao companion, and considering her status as a second-rank expert, if she chooses me, will the fish in my pond even have a chance to survive?

"If you keep doing this, my head suddenly won't feel so big anymore," he thought to himself.

Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that I have another trump card. If I am forced to do so in the future, I can sell myself to Luo Yuheng in exchange for a reward.

Of course, this is on the premise that she is relatively satisfied with me and puts me at the top of her list of potential dao companion.

Hmm, I'll find an opportunity to test her.

"Why are you asking such detailed questions?" the princess asked suspiciously.

"To become the dao companion of such a stunningly beautiful woman as the Imperial Preceptor would be a blessing earned through eight lifetimes of good deeds," Xu Qi'an said, feigning emotion.

"Stop dreaming. With your looks, how could Luo Yuheng possibly be interested in you?"

The princess's reaction was unexpectedly strong, filled with sarcastic remarks.

Then, she casually touched the Bodhi seed bracelet on her wrist and said lightly, "Luo Yuheng is certainly beautiful, but to say she is stunningly beautiful would be an exaggeration."

Having said that, she raised her chin and looked down at Xu Qi'an with disdain.

This posture clearly says, "Look at me! Look at me!" and "I am the most beautiful woman in the Great Feng Dynasty!"

Xu Qi'an scoffed dismissively, "Why don't you go back inside and look in the mirror?"

The princess was furious and picked up a small stone to throw at him.

"Alright, alright, the Imperial Advisor is far inferior to you," Xu Qi'an said dismissively.

The princess was still unwilling to give up. She clutched the Bodhi seed bracelet, determined to show the boy her true face and let him know whether Luo Yuheng was more beautiful or she was more beautiful.

"Have you thought this through? This is the capital. If you take off the bracelet, the Bureau of Astronomy might bring soldiers to arrest you tomorrow," Xu Qi'an threatened.

The princess immediately cowered.

The Director of the Imperial Observatory is the Bureau of Astronomy of the Bureau of Astronomy, and the Director of the Imperial Observatory is the Director of the Imperial Observatory. What the Director of the Imperial Observatory knows, the other Warlock in the Bureau of Astronomy may not know. If they discover the magnificent and extraordinary phenomena of the Princess, they may turn around and report it to the palace.

Although Xu Qi'an could stop him, it would also expose his secret of harboring the widow of the Prince of Huai.

Once a secret is known, it's very difficult to keep it.

In addition, there was a little secret he couldn't tell: he was afraid to see the princess's true face. The woman who was hidden was too dazzling, too perfect to be ordinary.

Even when faced with a woman of average appearance, Xu Qi'an could still feel his affection for her growing stronger every day. If he were to see that stunning beauty again, Xu Qi'an couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't do something to her tonight.

For example, let her understand what it means for a melon to ripen and fall from its vine.

Although Xu Qi'an's praise of Luo Yuheng made the most beautiful woman in Great Feng feel uncomfortable, overall, she still had a pretty happy day.

So the next morning, before Xu Qi'an left, she made noodles for Xu Qi'an to eat.

"It's sticky and mushy, obviously overcooked. There's so much MSG, is it trying to kill me with the sweetness? I'll let her try my cooking another day, so she can learn properly."

Xu Qi'an complained as he entered the brothel, changed his appearance and clothes, and returned home.

After practicing for two hours, he mounted his mare and rode off to a rather high-class brothel.

After waiting for a long time in the familiar private room, Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao finally arrived, dressed in Nightwatchers uniforms, with gongs strapped to their backs and swords in their hands.

Since they needed to discuss serious matters, they didn't invite any girls. The three of them sat around the table, watching the opera playing in the hall below, drinking and eating peanuts.

"How's the matter I asked you to investigate going?" Xu Qi'an kicked Song Tingfeng.

"Last night, a group of men in black robes did indeed enter the inner city, going through the south gate. They even warned the guards not to leak the information. Ha, those northerners from Chuzhou have no idea whose territory the capital is. I spent one tael of silver to get the information from the guards on duty last night."

Song Tingfeng took a sip of his wine, clicked his tongue, and said, "They didn't enter the imperial city; they disappeared after entering the inner city. This morning, I asked the silver gongs patrolling the imperial city to inquire, and indeed, no one saw that group of spies enter the imperial city."

Didn't enter the imperial city?

Was Hengyuan imprisoned somewhere in the inner city? No, it's also possible that he was secretly sent into the imperial city, or even the imperial palace, just like how the Earl of Pingyuan secretly sent the people he had abducted into the imperial city.

"The Daoist priest said that Master Hengyuan is not in any immediate danger and we should have plenty of time. We should not be too hasty. If Hengyuan is taken into the palace, we will have to break with Emperor Yuanjing while rescuing him."

"If that's the case, I need to have a backup plan and be prepared beforehand; I can't rush into rescuing people."

In a flash of thought, Xu Qi'an said, "Notify the brothers patrolling the streets that if they discover anything unusual in the inner city, or see any spies wearing black robes and masks, they must inform me immediately."

Zhu Guangxiao nodded and hummed in agreement.

Song Tingfeng suddenly said, "By the way, I heard that the delegation from the northern barbarians will be arriving in the capital in three days."

A demon and barbarian delegation has entered the capital? The demon and barbarian races just joined forces to break through Chuzhou City, how long has it been? They dare to enter the capital? Xu Qi'an frowned:

"I haven't heard about this."

Song Tingfeng chuckled, "His Majesty convened a small court meeting yesterday to secretly discuss this matter. Jiang Jinluo revealed it to us last night when he took us drinking at the Imperial Academy of Music."

I know about the war in the north. Given the lag in information transmission, the war in the north should have started long ago. Even so, the northern barbarians have sent an envoy to the capital, which is enough to show that the war is not going well. Xu Qi'an pondered:

"The demon and barbarian races are far too incompetent, asking for help so quickly?"

The Northern Barbarians, the Great Feng, and the Witch God Cult were in a state of checks and balances.

Song Tingfeng said, "Jingguo's cavalry is the best in the nine provinces. Before the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the barbarian cavalry could compete with Jingguo's cavalry. After the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the barbarian strongmen were almost all killed or wounded. Now, Jingguo's cavalry dominates the nine provinces."

"I don't think the war in the north will drag on for too long; the northern barbarians won't last past this year."

Zhu Guangxiao added, "After Jilizhigu's death, the demon and barbarian races only have one Zhujiu left, while the Witch God Cult is not lacking in high-level experts. Moreover, the battlefield is the home ground of witches, and the Witch God Cult's ability to control corpse soldiers is extremely terrifying."

Zhu Jiu had just survived the battle of Chuzhou City and was still seriously injured, so it made sense for him to think that way. Xu Qi'an nodded.

Zhu Guangxiao sighed, "Compared to the declining power of the Great Feng, the three kingdoms under the rule of the Witch God Sect are thriving. If it weren't for the Duke Wei..."

Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng were Nightwatchers who monitored all officials. They had excellent eyesight and could clearly perceive the decline of the Great Feng Kingdom.

Things are getting worse every year.

However, his patriotic sentiments were quickly replaced by the coquettish laughter of the young women.

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao each chose a pretty woman, embraced them, and went inside to work diligently.

Xu Qi'an sat alone at the table, silently drinking his wine, his expressionless gaze sweeping over the opera performance in the hall.

Nighttime, in Xu Erlang's study.

Xu Qi'an, holding his teacup, listened to Xu Erlang's recitation and frowned, saying, "Only this much?"

"The Hanlin Academy has been quite busy lately. The court is compiling military books, so I haven't had much time to memorize the late emperor's daily records," Xu Erlang explained helplessly.

"Revising military treatises?"

"It's customary to revise military treatises during times of war," Xu Erlang said, taking a sip of tea.

"I have something to tell you. In three days, the delegation from the northern barbarians will be entering the capital. The war in the north is raging, and if nothing unexpected happens, the imperial court will send troops to support the barbarians."

"Actually, the court had already made this decision when the intelligence came from Chuzhou, but it still needed time to deliberate. Heh, to put it bluntly, it's about stirring up morale. Tomorrow, the Imperial Academy will hold a literary gathering in the capital, the purpose of which is to spread pro-war sentiments."

Huaiqing told me about this. Oh right, I still have to accompany her to the literary gathering. Xu Qi'an remembered.

He hadn't experienced war in his previous life, but he had read a lot of ancient and modern history, so he could understand what Xu Erlang was trying to express.

Mobilization is a method that has been used since ancient times in times of war. It is necessary to tell the people why we are fighting and what the significance of fighting is.

Of course, in this era, the court was not mobilizing ordinary people, but rather the scholar-official class.

"Then, will these daily records that I memorized be of any use to you, elder brother?" Xu Erlang asked.

"Have!"

Xu Qi'an gave an affirmative answer, saying:

"This daily record shows that the late emperor did not consult the ancestral temples about the methods of immortality very often, but he did not infrequently either, which indicates that he harbored certain fantasies about immortality."

"But for some reason, he harbored absolutely no illusions about immortality. I haven't yet discerned any intention of the late emperor to pursue the Dao."

"The late emperor never practiced Daoism," Xu Erlang said, frowning. "Because of some reason?"

The late emperor was a wise man and knew his own limitations. Xu Qi'an smiled, offered no explanation, and instead said:

"The late emperor never practiced Daoism until his death, but he did have fantasies about it. I suspect that the late emperor may have influenced Emperor Yuanjing. Continue to read the daily records and write them down as soon as possible."

The next day, a torrential downpour began, the wind whipping up the raindrops and bringing a chill to the air.

Rainwater flowed down the eaves, forming curtains of water droplets.

Summer is gradually coming to an end, and the seedlings in the fields are showing signs of turning yellow.

Today was a day off. Standing under the eaves, Xu Erlang said with a sigh, "It seems I won't be able to attend the literary gathering."

Xu Qi'an walked out of the room and stood beside him watching the rain, laughing, "I think so too, so Erlang, may I borrow your official token?"

Opposite the two brothers was the east wing. Xu Lingyin stood under the eaves, waving a tree branch and constantly "cutting" the water droplets under the eaves, enjoying herself immensely.

Her little shoes and trouser legs were soaked by the rain.

At this hour, Lina was still fast asleep, Li Miaozhen was meditating in her room, and Second Uncle Xu, wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, was off on duty, looking rather pathetic.

Xu Qi'an also had something to do today. He was going to Lingbao Temple to do two things: first, to test Luo Yuheng's true attitude towards him.

Second: Ask about the previous generation's head of the sect.

The rain was pouring down, and Wei Yuan's carriage traveled through the rain curtain, with raindrops constantly bursting and crackling on the carriage roof.

The woman in blue opened the car window and silently watched the rain blur the world.

For a moment, the rain seemed to freeze, as if it were an illusion.

Rain can wash away the dust, but it can't cleanse the heart.

A sigh of regret rose from inside the carriage, the voice tinged with the vicissitudes of life.

Wei Yuan continued gazing at the rain, and said calmly, "Is the rain scene at Clear Cloud Mountain not as beautiful as the one here?"

Dean Zhao Shou appeared silently, his face serious. "After the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the Great Feng should have been thriving, but because... because..."

Zhao Shou tried to speak several times, but found that he couldn't remember.

"Because of unforeseen circumstances, at the end of the year of the Capital Evaluation, the sculpture in the Abyss cracked, and the one in the Northeast did the same. In the end, you only bought twenty years for the Great Feng and for the human race. Over the years, I've been thinking that if the Supervisor hadn't stood idly by, the outcome would have been different."

Wei Yuan remained expressionless, his tone flat. "Man proposes, God disposes. Nothing in this world will go according to your will, Zhao Shou, nor will it go according to mine. The Supervisor and I are fundamentally different."

Zhao Shou nodded and said, "The Gu God is High Antiquity Gods and Devils, but he is also a rootless duckweed. The Witch God is different. He rules the Northeast and governs millions of living beings. He accounts for at least one-third of the fate of the human race."

"If He breaks the seal, no one in the Nine Provinces can stop Him. Unless the Sage of Confucianism is resurrected."

Wei Yuan sighed, "I'll handle it. I started planning this last year."

Zhao Shou stared at him and asked, "What if you fail?"

Wei Yuan laughed, "Have you ever seen me lose?"

The carriage slowly came to a stop outside the palace gate.

Nangong Qianrou loosened the reins, opened the carriage door, and said, "Godfather, we've arrived."

He glanced around the carriage; apart from Wei Yuan, there was no one else. But as he drove, his martial arts instincts caught a fleeting glimpse of something amiss.

Nangong Qianrou opened a large umbrella and led Wei Yuan out of the carriage, raindrops pattering against the oil-paper umbrella.

Wei Yuan took the umbrella and said calmly, "Wait for me here."

He held an umbrella and entered the palace alone, his blue robes swaying in the wind and rain, as if he were alone, facing the storms of the world.