Number One takes the initiative

Zhong Li tilted her head, thought for a few seconds, and said, "The earth's veins are like the meridians in a person; the course of mountains and rivers is influenced by the earth's veins."

He paused, then continued, "Earth veins are a general term, divided into twelve types, corresponding to the twelve meridians of the human body. They are very important in Feng Shui; land with earth veins is considered a Feng Shui treasure land. Earth veins are especially important when building houses and choosing burial sites."

Xu Qi'an felt a chill run down his spine. He summarized his thoughts and replied in the Earth Book chat group, "[Earth veins are equivalent to the meridians in the human body, corresponding to the twelve primary meridians.]"

Finish.

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society waited for a long time, but saw no further developments, so they fell silent. It was as if they hadn't said anything at all.

However, Xu Qi'an remembered a small matter. When he took Chu Caiwei to look at the feng shui of the new house, there was a female ghost in the well of the Xu Residence. Ghosts cannot exist independently in the mortal world.

When Chu Caiwei went down into the well to check, she discovered a yin vein at the bottom of the well.

Yin veins are likely a type of earth vein.

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an asked again, "Senior Sister Zhong, are there any ley lines in the Imperial City?"

Zhong Li said softly, "Of course there are ley lines in the imperial city; they're called dragon veins."

Before Xu Qi'an could ask further, she thoughtfully explained:

"Dragon veins are an extension of destiny. Six hundred years ago, the Great Feng established its capital here. The capital's earth veins were nourished by purple qi, blessed by the nation's destiny, and supported by the wishes of the people. Over time, it transformed into a dragon vein."

Dragon veins are a type of earth vein, but they are also an extension of fortune. Xu Qi'an pondered, "What is the function of dragon veins?"

Zhong Li pondered for a moment and said:

"Just as the destruction of ancestral grave feng shui will affect future generations, the effects of dragon veins and the national sword are similar, suppressing the fortune of a nation. At the Great Zhou Dynasty, Qian Zhong, a great Confucian scholar from the Cloud Deer Academy, entered the capital of Great Zhou with the people's grievances. At the cost of his own life, he shattered the last bit of the Great Zhou's national fortune. What he destroyed was the dragon vein."

"Among us Warlock, there's a saying: 'He who controls the dragon vein controls the world.'"

I don't quite understand, but it seems very powerful. Xu Qi'an sent a message: [There is a dragon vein within the imperial city.]

Then he asked Zhong Li, "Can you manipulate dragon veins?"

Zhong Li was stunned for a long time before weakly saying, "The dragon vein suppresses the destiny of a nation; even the Imperial Supervisor wouldn't dare to touch it lightly."

Xu Qi'an then relayed the characteristics of the dragon vein to the members of the Heaven and Earth Society.

Chu Yuanzhen analyzed. "[If even the Imperial Supervisor wouldn't dare to easily touch the dragon vein, then it's even less likely that the Prince of Huai's spies would use the dragon vein to escape through the earth. Was my thinking wrong?]"

The speculation stalled, and even Xu Qi'an was temporarily stumped.

Just then, Number One suddenly said, "I'll investigate Hengyuan's matter. Leave it to me; none of you need to worry about it."

Huh, Number One is being so proactive, this doesn't fit his/her personality at all. Xu Qi'an was taken aback.

Among the holders of the Earth Book fragments, Number One is the most low-key and has the most mysterious identity. Numbers Seven and Eight are unable to speak out for a reason, but Number One is the only one who rarely shows up. When he does participate in discussions, he only touches on the topic briefly.

I never meet face-to-face with holders of the Earth Book fragments.

Not only him, but all the members of the Heaven and Earth Society were surprised. Such initiative and enthusiasm were not in line with the usual style of the number one.

[One: In the Heaven and Earth Society, no one but me can freely enter and leave the Imperial City. I can even find a way to enter the palace. Whether it's Hengyuan or the underground, I have more advantages and am safer than you.]

[Of course, if I need help, I will ask you for it, and I hope you will not refuse.]

This reason was reasonable and easily convinced everyone, making Xu Qi'an and the others breathe a sigh of relief.

Indeed, the imperial city and palace are now forbidden areas for them. Even if Xu Qi'an could sneak into the imperial city, he could only stay by Huaiqing and Lin'an's side and lacked the conditions to act alone.

This is a perfect opportunity to test Number One's abilities and his identity, Chu Yuanzhen thought to himself.

The fact that Number One could freely enter and leave the capital, and even find opportunities to enter the palace, indicated that he was of very high status. Was he one of the nobles? A member of the imperial family or a meritorious official? Li Miaozhen pondered to herself.

Phew, someone's finally taken over Master Hengyuan's matter, so I can relax. Time for bed. Lina thought happily.

Over the next two days, the imperial court and the barbarian delegation held several rounds of negotiations without success, and the two sides have not yet reached an agreement.

Xu Qi'an, far removed from the imperial court, paid no attention to the matter. He spent the last two days seeking peace and quiet in the widow's courtyard. The reason was that, after the literary gathering, scholars from all walks of life kept sending invitations to the Xu Residence.

Some wanted to visit him, some wanted to invite him for drinks, and some even wanted to marry their daughters or sisters to him, providing their birth dates and times.

During the Buddhist School debates, Xu Qi'an was indeed renowned, but scholars still held a prejudice against him and did not fully regard him as "one of their own."

After the massacre in Chuzhou, Zhao Shou publicly announced in court that Xu Qi'an was his disciple, and Xu Qi'an officially became "one of their own" in the eyes of scholars. However, Emperor Yuan Jing was in a bad mood at that time, and no one dared to get close to Xu Qi'an.

After the literary gathering incident, Xu Qi'an became highly sought after.

These are all minor issues. What truly made him unable to stay at home were the several great Confucian scholars from the Cloud Deer Academy.

The day before yesterday, the wind was quite noisy, and Xu Qi'an's eyelids kept twitching.

Dean Zhao Shou arrived, dressed in a faded scholar's robe, his hair disheveled, looking every bit the cynical scholar.

Xu Qi'an respectfully led his nominal teacher into the hall, served him fine tea, and after some casual conversation, Zhao Shou asked, "Ningyan is indeed skilled in military strategy; do you have any other handwritten copies of that military book?"

Zhao Shou came to read books and also wanted to add the military treatise to the academy's library.

I didn't copy it by hand, but recently I couldn't resist wanting to masturbate to Xu Qi'an, who hadn't been near a woman for four months. Unfortunately, I declined Zhao Shou's offer.

At this very moment, the great Confucian scholars Zhang Shen, Li Mubai, and Chen Tai paid a joint visit.

Upon seeing Dean Zhao Shou, the three Confucian scholars looked at him with disdain.

Zhang Shen: "Poetry thief!"

Chen Tai: "Thief!"

Li Mubai: "Shameless old scoundrel!"

The three of them shouted in unison, "Pah!"

Then Dean Zhao Shou flew into a rage, and with a wave of his sleeve, Law Follows Speech, "Retreat a hundred li."

The three Confucian scholars waved their sleeves and declared, "We will not retreat!"

"Retreat a hundred li."

No refund.

"Retreat a hundred li."

No refund.

During this unique Law Technique contest, Xu Qi'an slipped out of the Xu Residence. Before leaving, he looked back and saw his aunt's potted plant in the hall smashed on the ground.

Seeing Xu Lingyin join the battle, he stood aside and said, "Tuituitui."

Li Miaozhen risked her life to rescue this foolish girl; otherwise, she would have been sent a hundred miles away.

The princess lived a very comfortable life, not physically, but mentally.

She lived a carefree life, with no shortage of food, clothing, shelter, or transportation. Xu Qi'an would often accompany her to shops, eat snacks, and watch operas.

The nine-colored lotus root is growing very well; it has already begun to sprout and has grown another section. Xu Qi'an hopes that it will become even bigger than the one belonging to Daoist Jinlian.

That evening, after disguising himself at the brothel, Xu Qi'an rode his beloved little mare back to the Xu Residence.

During dinner, my aunt said, "I've asked Lingyue to invite Miss Wang to our house the day after tomorrow. The men in the family should remember to avoid her. Also, we must observe proper etiquette."

"I'm talking to you, Xu Lingyin. You're the most rude person ever."

Xu Lingyin table manners were anything but elegant, looked up and asked in confusion, "When Master and Sister Miaozhen came to our house as guests, I did the same thing. Why didn't Mother say I was impolite?"

"How can that be the same? She's your second brother's fiancée," the aunt said.

"What is a wife?" Xu Lingyin asked.

My second uncle said, "Your mother is your father's wife, understand?"

Xu Lingyin exclaimed in shock, "She's going to be my mother?"

Everyone lowered their heads and ate, abandoning the idea of explaining the word "wife" to the little one. Actually, it was quite complicated to explain; although "wife" is a noun, a man's desire to marry a wife is to turn it into a verb.

The meaning is too profound for a six-year-old to understand.

"As long as you behave well and don't cause trouble, Mom will take you to Fu Man Lou to eat monkey brains from now on," Auntie said.

Monkey brains are Fu Man Lou's signature dish.

"I want to eat monkey breasts." Xu Lingyin's attention was indeed diverted.

"Brain."

"Nai Zi."

"."

My aunt kept a straight face and didn't say anything.

"Ahem!" Xu Erlang coughed, breaking the tense atmosphere, and looked at Xu Qi'an: "Big brother, I've recently memorized another part. Come to my study after dinner."

Xu Qi'an was secretly pleased and slowly nodded, "Okay."

Hopefully, the late emperor's daily records will provide some clues; otherwise, I really don't know how to continue the investigation, and perhaps I'll have to give up.

After dinner, the two brothers went into the study, lit candles, and sat at the desk. Xu Erlang recited the text while Xu Qi'an listened.

The late emperor was an unremarkable ruler, passing away without any major achievements or mistakes. He was also quite mild-mannered, somewhat infatuated with women, and somewhat negligent in governing. It was precisely because of this that he allowed two successive chief ministers to wield great power.

Looking back now, Emperor Yuanjing's masterful political maneuvering and skill in maintaining balance of power were likely due to learning from the lessons of his predecessor.

The monotonous listening continued, and time passed by, when suddenly a conversation jolted Xu Qi'an awake from his drowsiness.

The late emperor asked, "Master, your cultivation is profound; you are a divine being. Do you know the technique of transforming one breath into three pure beings?"

The head of the Human Sect Daoist School: When discussing the art of transforming one qi into three pure ones, the Earth Sect is the most outstanding among the three sects.

The late Emperor: I've heard that the Earthly Sect cultivates merit and travels the mortal world, appearing and disappearing like a dragon. I wonder if you could introduce me?

The leader of the Human Sect: Agreed!

"The late emperor had a deep curiosity about the One Qi Transformation into Three Pure Ones. Hmm, the leader of the Earth Sect during the late emperor's time should be that Earth Sect leader who fell into demonic possession."

As Xu Qi'an pondered, his body suddenly trembled, and his expression froze.

In the massacre of Chuzhou, the avatar of the leader of the Earth Sect was involved. Emperor Yuanjing and the leader of the Earth Sect were in cahoots. I have never understood how Emperor Yuanjing got involved with the leader of the Earth Sect.

It turns out that the head of the Earth Sect had been to the capital before, and he must have had contact with the late emperor and Emperor Yuanjing during his time as a prince.

Indeed, checking the daily records from the late emperor's reign was the right thing to do. These details were all correct, even seemingly insignificant. But it was precisely these seemingly insignificant traces that connected the dots, revealing a series of cause-and-effect relationships.

Xu Qi'an perked up and listened carefully, but to his disappointment, there was no information in the daily records about the late emperor meeting with the head of the Earth Sect.

They were either erased from history or no longer in the palace, which is why the Imperial Diarist was not by the emperor's side.

As the candle burned out, Xu Erlang let out a sigh of relief, "I haven't had time to see the rest yet."

Xu Qi'an immediately left the study and returned to his room.

early morning.

Wang Simu sat in front of the dressing table, and with the help of her maid, styled her hair into the most fashionable updo of the time, drew her eyebrows, applied lip rouge, covered her face with a light layer of pearl powder, and then added a touch of blush.

It has a touch of understated elegance, refined without being overly glamorous.

She wore a lotus-colored palace dress, exuding elegance and grace; the expensive fabric and intricate design added a touch of nobility.

This outfit was the result of careful consideration.

As everyone knows, the matriarch of the Xu Household is a woman of unfathomable cunning and extremely skillful methods, and is her number one enemy in the future.

Therefore, if she relies on her status as the eldest daughter of the Grand Secretary to act ostentatiously and flaunt her power, she will be more likely to be caught off guard and used as a pretext to accuse her of lacking proper upbringing.

Therefore, one should be low-key and reserved, and follow the middle way.

I can't wait!

She was the legitimate daughter of the Wang family. As a child, she witnessed her mother and favored concubines vying for power, and she also saw those arrogant concubines trying to compete with her and steal her position as the legitimate daughter.

But by the time she reached girlhood, all those shady characters had become distant memories.

Miss Wang's status in the Prince's mansion was like that of Dugu Qiubai, sitting atop a mountain, only lacking the solitude of playing the zither.

With no rivals at home, she "played" with the young ladies of noble families outside, subduing the daughters of meritorious officials and suppressing princesses of the imperial family. Among the wives and daughters of high-ranking officials in the capital, the only person who could make Miss Wang feel inferior and fearful from the bottom of her heart was the eldest daughter of the emperor, Huaiqing.

But later, she discovered that the small Xu Residence harbored a woman of considerable power, and this woman might just be her future mother-in-law.

Two days ago, after receiving the invitation from the eldest daughter of the Xu Household, Wang Simu knew that the matriarch of the Xu Household intended to formally meet him.

This is both a good thing and a bad thing.

Fortunately, the matriarch of the Xu Household finally accepted her and considered her a satisfactory daughter-in-law.

The downside is that this invitation is likely fraught with murderous intent and fraught with peril. If she doesn't handle it well and falls into a disadvantageous position, she may be suppressed in the future.

But that's precisely what makes it interesting.

Miss Wang is a combative woman. She has a lot of intelligence and talent that she can't put to use. If her future mother-in-law is an ordinary person, it would be too boring.

On the surface, she appears gentle and delicate, but in reality, she is a woman with a deep and Xu Household mind.

Xu Erlang was exceptionally talented and eloquent.

And then there's Xu Dalang, whom all the nobles and officials in the court feared and whom even His Majesty hated with a passion.

The fact that she could raise such a descendant shows that the matriarch of the Xu Household is truly a formidable opponent.

"But that's precisely why it's worth looking forward to."

Wang Simu, accompanied by her maids and attendants, entered the carriage with great pomp and circumstance, like a female general leading a vast army into battle.

Xu Qi'an sat in the hall, eating braised pork knuckle, while Lina and Xu Lingyin came over to join in the fun.

My aunt was instructing the servants to sweep the courtyard and remove the cobwebs.

"Make sure everyone is clean and tidy. She's the Grand Secretary's daughter, of noble birth. We can't be impolite; we can't let her look down on us. Xu Ningyan, Xu Lingyin!!"

The aunt turned her head and saw her nephew and daughter secretly eating the food she had bought from the restaurant. She was furious.

"Are you two trying to drive me crazy? You, Xu Ningyan, are always so irresponsible and haven't found a girl you like yet. Are you just jealous that Erlang you to it?"

Auntie, you've misunderstood. I'll take you boating at my fishpond another day; it's full of ferocious sharks and crocodiles.

The aunt shooed her nephew and daughter out of the hall and continued leading the others in their work.

In order to leave a good impression on the Wang family's daughter and to establish a peaceful relationship, the aunt went to great lengths.