Half a lifetime

Xu Qi'an reluctantly went to greet her, but before he could get close, his aunt leaned in, grabbed his arm, and said urgently:

"How can Erlang go to the battlefield? He's never even killed a chicken. He's just a scholar who can't even kill a chicken. The emperor is sending him to the battlefield? That's practically killing him!"

As she spoke, she began to sob.

Xu Lingyue was also in the hall at this time, standing to one side, her beautiful and refined face showing a slight frown as she worried about Erlang's safety.

"Mother, I am a seventh-rank benevolent person, only seventh-rank. Father is only seventh-rank too." Xu Cijiu Qi Ingestion.

"What's the use? Your father told me long ago that a seventh-rank scholar is just as weak as a chicken, and can't even beat a ninth-rank martial artist," the aunt said angrily.

Xu Erlang was speechless.

Xu Qi'an patted his aunt's hand to comfort her, and then said, "It's not like there's no way to solve it. At worst, we can resign from our official posts."

"I resign!" the aunt said, wiping away her tears.

To women like my aunt, war was a catastrophe as if the sky were falling. As a mother, she would rather her son give up his future than go to the battlefield.

"Impossible!"

Xu Xinnian interrupted forcefully, saying that as a scholar of the academy, how could he possibly back down because he was afraid of going to the battlefield?

The aunt sat in the chair, tears streaming down her face, and said, "You came from my womb, do you think I don't know your own worth? If you had half the talent of your older brother, I wouldn't bother with you. But you're just a useless scholar. You're good at writing essays, but where did you get the ability to fight with a knife?"

"You're the only child of the second wife. If something happens to you, I... I won't live either."

Xu Lingyue comforted her mother with a worried expression.

"Mother, I study military strategy. The battlefield is my home ground, the place where I cultivate. I've finally got this opportunity," he explained, his tone softening.

Are you stupid?

Auntie screamed, "That dog emperor wants you dead! He has a grudge against Ningyan, and he'd love for our whole family to die. Why are you stupidly offering yourself up?"

Tears streamed down her face, and in her agitation, her expression became unusually ferocious.

Xu Qi'an was stunned when he saw this scene. His aunt was actually very clear about the situation of the Xu Residence. She knew that her nephew had offended the emperor and the whole family was being watched and was in a precarious situation.

But she never expressed any concern about this, nor did she ever complain about her "meddlesome" nephew. It wasn't because he was stupid, but because she treated this nephew, whom she had raised, as family and as her son.

Some people may say they don't care about you, but they actually love you in their hearts.

Xu Qi'an silently withdrew from the inner hall, had a servant bring over a mare, and galloped towards the Nightwatchers's office.

Haoqi Tower, seven stories.

In the tea room, Xu Qi'an frowned and said, "Duke Wei, that scoundrel Emperor Yuanjing has indeed not given up persecuting me. Seeing that my reputation is at its peak, and with Dean Zhao Shou, you, and the Supervisor backing me up, he is unwilling to touch me for the time being, so he has set his sights on Cijiu."

Why didn't Xu Qi'an leave the capital, and instead dared to investigate Emperor Yuanjing in secret? It's because he had these three powerful figures backing him up.

In addition, he kept a low profile and did not do anything reckless in front of Emperor Yuanjing.

But he knew that Emperor Yuanjing would settle accounts with him sooner or later. This emperor was skilled in political maneuvering, and he had plenty of patience to wait, just like this time.

Xu Qi'an himself was not afraid of Emperor Yuanjing, but he was quite worried about his second uncle and Erlang. It would be too easy for Emperor Yuanjing to "frame" them.

Wei Yuan smiled and asked, "What are your thoughts?"

Xu Qi'an tentatively asked, "Can Duke Wei stop him?"

Wei Yuan shook his head. "It was His Majesty's personal selection; it's not easy to refuse."

Xu Qi'an sighed heavily, "I originally wanted to join the army with Erlang and protect him secretly, but I felt that if I also left the capital, my family would be in real danger, so I had no choice but to ask Duke Wei for help."

"Duke Wei is the commander-in-chief of this expedition, please look after Erlang for me."

The supervisor and Zhao Shou will protect him, but will these two powerful figures act as his bodyguards and protect his family?

Xu Qi'an lacked this confidence, but he was confident only with Wei Yuan.

The supervisor and Zhao Shou treated him as a pawn, so they only recognized him and not his family. Wei Yuan treated him as a confidant and an important person, so Wei Yuan would take care of his family.

Wei Yuan sipped his tea and smiled, "I will arrange for Xu Xinnian to go to the north. Jiang Luzhong and Yang Yan are your closest friends. In addition, Chu Yuanzhen will also go to the north."

Xu Qi'an was suddenly overjoyed. "So you've already made all the arrangements? You had Chu Yuanzhen enlist in the army just to protect Erlang?"

Dad!

Wei Yuan scoffed, "That was just a side effect. Chu Yuanzhen is exceptionally talented; it would be a waste for him to be a Rogue Person. He remains a scholar with the world in his heart; he only resigned and went into seclusion because he was dissatisfied with His Majesty's cultivation of Daoism."

"As long as they have the will, they won't refuse me. Such a talented person is too good to pass up."

"Chu Yuanzhen is an old tool," Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

Wei Yuan immediately asked, "Is there anything else you want to say to me?"

He seemed somewhat expectant.

Xu Qi'an chuckled twice, stood up, and bowed respectfully. "Duke Wei."

Wei Yuan smiled noncommittally, seemingly somewhat disappointed.

"Xu Qi'an!"

But as he took his leave, Wei Yuan's voice suddenly came from behind him, "The world of Kyushu is more complicated than you think. Go, and walk your path well."

Xu Qi'an waited a moment, but Wei Yuan didn't explain. He glanced back at him and said, "Fine!"

After leaving Haoqi Tower, Xu Qi'an took out the fragment of the Earth Book and sent a private message request to Chu Yuanzhen.

[Third: Brother Chu, news just came from the Ministry of War that I, like you, must also join the army on the expedition.]

[Four: Wei Yuan also contacted you? Is your cousin going too?]

Chu Yuanzhen was shocked and worried about Hengyuan. Without Xu Qi'an in charge in the capital, could the "One, Two, Five" trio really rescue Hengyuan successfully?

[Three: I am different from you; I was personally appointed by Emperor Yuanjing.]

Xu Qi'an didn't curse Emperor Yuanjing's wickedness, because Chu Yuanzhen would definitely understand; he was such a smart person.

[Four: It's alright, I will take care of you.]

"That's exactly what I was waiting for!" Xu Qi'an immediately sent a message: "[I will temporarily hand over the fragments of the Earth Book to my elder brother. Well, that's all for now. I have other matters to attend to.]"

Without giving Chu Yuanzhen a chance to ask questions, they quickly ended the private chat.

Sigh, one should always be honest. Don't brag online, or you'll end up in an embarrassing situation. Xu Qi'an sighed sincerely.

On the other side, at the Xu Residence.

After receiving the message from the mansion, Xu Pingzhi rushed home immediately. He is now sitting in a chair with a dark face, not saying a word.

"Master, please tell this unfilial son what to do! Make him resign from his post immediately!" the aunt cried.

"His Majesty used an open strategy," Xu Pingzhi sighed.

They were either kicked out of the Hanlin Academy or went to war; the former would ruin their future, while the latter meant a slim chance of survival.

Xu Pingzhi had experienced the Battle of Shanhai Pass and knew that he had only survived by sheer luck. The fighting in the north was certainly not as dangerous and intense as the Battle of Shanhai Pass.

However, Xu Erlang was not a warrior and lacked the means to protect himself on the battlefield.

Xu Xinnian sat to the side, silent and not saying a word. He had already been beaten by his older brother, and there was no need for him to be beaten by his father as well.

The family was shrouded in gloom.

Her aunt sobbed incessantly, Xu Lingyue comforted her softly.

"I saw my eldest brother go out just now. He must have come up with a plan. Mother, don't worry, let's wait for him to come back before we talk about it," Xu Lingyue said softly.

We can only wait for news from Dalang.

The aunt wiped away her tears, glancing frequently towards the outside of the hall, and said anxiously, "But what can Dalang do? He's no longer an official, and he's offended the emperor."

Xu Pingzhi's face was gloomy, and he remained silent.

Just then, they heard Xu Lingyin's clear, childlike voice from outside. "Big pot~"

The family suddenly turned around and looked outside the hall. Sure enough, they saw Xu Qi'an striding back and kicking his sister who was coming to greet him away.

Xu Lingyin flew into Lina's arms and giggled happily, saying that the feeling of riding the clouds was very interesting.

Xu Qi'an used a clever technique; the brother and sister had always played like this.

"Dalang!"

"Big brother!"

The family of four in the hall stood up at the same time and looked at Xu Qi'an.

Auntie asked anxiously, "Dalang, have you thought of a way to stop Erlang from going to war?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head slightly, "His Majesty appointed me, how can I refuse?"

Seeing the disappointment on his aunt's beautiful face, and seeing Second Uncle Xu's expression darken instantly, he said calmly:

"However, Duke Wei promised to take care of Erlang. Moreover, Chu Yuanzhen, Registered Disciple of the Human Sect, will also be going on the expedition. He has an excellent relationship with me and Erlang, and promised to protect Erlang well."

"Master?"

The aunt cast an inquiring glance at her husband.

Second Uncle Xu smiled and said, "With Duke Wei protecting you, Erlang is safe and sound. Moreover, Chu Yuanzhen is comparable to a fourth-rank master and can fly on a sword. Even if we encounter danger, he can protect Erlang well."

Hearing this, even her husband said so, and her aunt felt much more at ease.

She sobbed for a moment, then said, "Thanks to you, Dalang."

In times of war, in addition to necessary matters such as troop deployment and requisition of provisions, corresponding ceremonies are also indispensable.

The imperial court would have the Bureau of Astronomy select an auspicious day for the three sacrifices: to Heaven, to Earth, and to the ancestors.

The three sacrificial rites were conducted with strict procedures, each on a different auspicious day, and were led by the emperor and his civil and military officials.

Soldiers and generals who were to go to war with the army would also hold ancestral worship ceremonies on this day.

When descendants go to war, ancestor worship is an essential part of the ceremony.

The Xu Household's ancestral graves are located in a geomantically auspicious site outside the capital, chosen with the help of Warlock geomancer from the Bureau of Astronomy. Of course, most wealthy families in the capital would consult Warlock for feng shui consultations.

Everyone's ancestral graves are auspicious sites.

The brothers Xu Xinnian and Xu Qi'an are now the golden phoenixes of the Xu clan, the core figures.

The clan was so moved by the momentous occasion of Xu Erlang of the Hanlin Academy going on a military expedition that almost the entire clan came to attend, including two elderly clan elders with white hair.

An elder of the clan was still quite healthy, tall and thin, though his white hair was somewhat sparse.

The other one was no longer quite lucid, his gaze was somewhat vacant, but his hair was white and very thick.

After presiding over the ancestral worship ceremony, the white-haired elder remarked with emotion:

"Back then, nobody believed the Warlock of the Bureau of Astronomy. The capital was only so big; where would so many auspicious burial sites come from? It was just a matter of wishing for good fortune. Now it seems, however, that this is indeed an auspicious burial site. Otherwise, two outstanding individuals wouldn't have emerged from it in succession."

The surrounding tribespeople laughed.

At this moment, the old and senile clan elder, trembling, searched through the crowd, muttering, "Where is my Dalang? Where is my Dalang? Where is our Xu Household's star of literature?"

Xu Pingzhi pulled Xu Erlang closer and said with a smile, "Uncle, in our Xu Household, the Wenqu Star is Erlang, and the Wuqu Star is Dalang."

The elder's cloudy eyes stared at Erlang for a long time, then he shook his head repeatedly. "No, it's not you, you're not Dalang."

"Of course he's not the Dalang, I've already said he's the Erlang, the literary star of our Xu Household," a clansman explained loudly from the side.

The clan elder ignored him and continued searching through the crowd, "Dalang, where is Dalang?"

Xu Qi'an had no choice but to walk over and say with a smile, "Grandpa, I'm Dalang."

The clan elder squinted, scrutinizing him carefully, and then smiled, "It's Dalang, it's Dalang, the literary star of our Xu Household."

The elder's son, standing nearby, awkwardly explained, "I used to always tell my father about Dalang's deeds. He heard it so many times that he only remembers Dalang."

The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Garden.

Wei Yuan sat in the pavilion, twirling a black chess piece between his fingers, playing chess with Emperor Yuanjing.

After killing the old emperor several times, Wei Yuan said calmly, "I heard the Empress came in unwell?"

Emperor Yuanjing glanced at him and said expressionlessly, "Autumn has arrived; perhaps you've caught a chill. I've been busy with state affairs and have neglected the Empress. Minister Wei, please go and visit her on my behalf."

Wei Yuan rose, bowed, and withdrew.

He had walked the path to Fengqi Palace countless times, but this time he walked exceptionally slowly. Even though the person he cared about most was at the end of the path, he was afraid to walk too fast, afraid that he would accidentally finish the journey.

Inside the Phoenix Palace, the stunningly beautiful Empress stood in the hall, one hand gathering her sleeve, the other burning incense.

Why are you here?

She was quite pleased to see Wei Yuan enter the hall.

"I'm about to set off for war, so I came to see you." Wei Yuan said with a gentle smile.

The Empress led him to a seat and instructed the palace maids to serve tea and pastries. The two sat in the room, and time passed quietly. They didn't exchange many words, but there was an indescribable harmony between them.

After finishing his tea, Wei Yuan remarked with a sigh, "The palace has always kept the pastries you made?"

The Queen smiled slightly, "I don't know when you'll come, but I know you love my pastries. So every afternoon, I personally cook some."

Wei Yuan nodded. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

The Queen glanced at the plate, having only eaten two pieces of pastry, and said softly:

"Ah Ming used to always try to take the pastries I made from you, and you never let him have them. In the Shangguan family, you acted more like the legitimate son than he did, because you were my father's most valued student and the son of his savior."

"I'm not saying anything more!"

Wei Yuan calmly interrupted, saying in a low voice, "My grudges with the Shangguan family were settled after Shangguan Ming's death. I came here to tell you."

He gazed at the Empress's stunningly beautiful face, as captivating as ever, and said, "I have guarded you for half my life. Now, I am going to do what I want to do."

After Wei Yuan finished speaking, he stood up, bowed, and walked out of the hall.

You've been with me for half my life, yet you've never known what I wanted.

Behind them came the Empress's shout.

Wei Yuan paused briefly, then resolutely left.

A wind, seemingly from nowhere, swept through the palace walls, lifting his green robe and ruffling his graying temples.

Outside Phoenix Palace was a long road, with tall red walls on both sides. He walked silently forward, finally finishing the road and half of his life.

This year, though we're at opposite ends of the earth, my temples are streaked with gray.

Lin'an, dressed in a fiery red dress, walked towards Wenyuan Pavilion accompanied by two personal maids and guards from Shaoyin Palace.

"Hey, why is Wei Yuan here in the palace?"

Lin'an saw a figure in green robes emerge from the direction of the inner palace from afar and muttered something curiously.

She had never liked Wei Yuan because Da Qingyi was a staunch supporter of the Fourth Prince, who was the Crown Prince's biggest threat.

It wasn't until she met Xu Qi'an that she developed even the slightest bit of affection for Wei Yuan; it was purely out of love for him that she developed feelings for him.

After watching Wei Yuan's figure leave, Lin An didn't delay his own business and continued towards Wenyuan Pavilion.

The Wenyuan Pavilion, consisting of seven buildings, served as the imperial library, housing a vast and diverse collection of books.

Lin'an accurately entered the third pavilion, summoned the official in charge of managing the Wenyuan Pavilion, and said, "I want to see books related to the capital's dragon veins. Go and fetch them."

As a princess, she didn't need to search for books in the sea of books herself; she had a local administrator to help her.

After obtaining the book recording the dragon veins, Lin'an went to the sixth pavilion, summoned the administrator, and instructed, "I wish to consult the records of the first Earl of Pingyuan."

The administrator quickly retrieved the relevant files of the first Earl of Pingyuan.

This time, Lin'an did not borrow any books. He opened one and took a look. The first Earl of Pingyuan was a figure from 170 years ago. He was originally a general in the north and was later ennobled for his many military achievements.

"The Pingyuan Earl's residence was bestowed by the emperor," Lin'an thought to himself.

late at night.

The inner city, an area near the imperial city.

The Pingyuan Earl's residence was quiet, with the gates sealed. Ever since the Pingyuan Earl's entire family was wiped out by Heng Hui, the residence had been taken back by the imperial court.

In fact, at that time, the Earl of Pingyuan had two illegitimate sons who were out having a good time and were not at home, so they escaped the disaster. However, illegitimate sons have no right to inherit the title, and naturally they have no right to inherit this imperial mansion.

A dark figure calmly avoided the Nightwatchers on the rooftops and the patrolling Imperial Saber Guard, and as soon as the Nightwatchers finished their lookout, quickly scaled the wall and sneaked into the Pingyuan Earl's residence.

The figure was dressed in a tight-fitting night suit that allowed for easy movement, outlining her voluptuous curves.

No man could have such exaggerated pectoral muscles, nor such a slender waist, so she is undoubtedly a female thief.

The Pingyuan Earl's residence was deathly silent.

The shadowy figure glanced around for a moment, then moved swiftly along the wall. During this process, she took out a hand-drawn map of the dragon vein's trajectory and a Bagua feng shui compass from the Bureau of Astronomy.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze sharp as knives. In the dim moonlight, she observed the dragon vein chart while examining the feng shui compass in her hand.

After comparing and analyzing bit by bit, she finally arrived at her destination—the backyard garden.

The back garden of the Pingyuan Earl's Mansion has a unique layout, with a sizable artificial hill. Because it is neglected, it is overgrown with weeds and looks quite desolate.

The dark figure leaped lightly, landing on a rockery. She surveyed the area for nearly fifteen minutes before silently landing on the ground. She then groped around the rockery she had identified for a while.

When they reached the last target, they finally found something: the ten-foot-tall artificial mountain was hollow, and when gently tapped, it produced a hollow echo.

She walked around the artificial hill, searching for clues, and suddenly, she reached out and pressed a spot.

With a "click," the side of the artificial hill slid open automatically, revealing a dark, downward-sloping opening.

P. S.: I fell asleep while writing yesterday. After waking up, I continued writing. Since it was so late, I figured I wasn't in a rush, so I wrote a little more. This chapter is over 5,000 words.

As I get older, I used to be able to stay up all night writing without ever dozing off.