Xu Lingyin: The world is a treacherous place

Xu Erlang, who was thin-skinned, glanced at his elder brother, then at his father, and his lips twitched several times involuntarily.

In the awkward atmosphere that made one's scalp tingle, Xu Qi'an cleared his throat and said:

"It smells so good! I can almost smell Lingyue's cooking."

"Second Uncle, let's drink until we drop tonight!"

The awkward atmosphere was broken, and the three men tacitly hid the bag of green oranges beside them, pretending not to see it.

During this process, Xu Qi'an glanced at Erlang and saw that Xu Erlang's expression remained unchanged, having already concealed his earlier embarrassment.

In the two years that followed, Erlang had grown a lot. He recalled how he had hanged himself while reciting poetry in the old house, and how embarrassed he was when his family found him, wishing he could die on the spot. Xu Qi'an felt a pang of emotion when he thought back to that time.

The three men entered the mansion and went straight to the inner hall.

The inner hall was brightly lit by candlelight, and several icicles hung from the eaves. The aroma of food wafted out from the open door.

Many servants came and went in the inner courtyard, and several pretty maids were added.

During the month he was away from the capital, the Xu Residence bought many servants.

"Many people in the capital area also froze to death. Since the family was short of servants, your aunt had the steward buy some servants from the slave trader, which at least gave them a way to survive."

"That's what Second Uncle Xu said."

Xu Qi'an nodded. Although his aunt was petty, concerned about her image, and thought of herself as a fairy with a lot of faults, a woman who was pampered, carefree, and didn't need to scheme and compete for favor couldn't possibly have a bad heart.

Lin'an is another example. It was fortunate that Emperor Yuanjing had cultivated Daoism for many years, and the palace lacked the environment for intrigue and backstabbing. If people had lived in that kind of atmosphere for a long time, Lin'an might not be as innocent and kind as it is now.

"In years of great disaster, there's nothing that can be done." Xu Qi'an turned his head, glanced at Xu Xinnian, and smiled:

"Why didn't Auntie buy Erlang a concubine?"

Second Uncle Xu laughed and said, "Erlang will be engaged to the Prime Minister's daughter in two months. Your aunt wouldn't dare offend the Prime Minister's daughter."

Xu Cijiu frowned, somewhat displeased with his elder brother and father's teasing.

As they spoke, the three men entered the inner hall, where charcoal braziers for heating were placed in the four corners. The table was laden with food, including delicacies from land and sea, which was clearly not the usual dinner at the Xu Residence.

Aunt and Lingyue sat around the coffee table, while Xu Lingyin and Lina crowded around the table, staring longingly at the food.

"Lingyin, don't even think about sneaking a bite. We'll eat when your older brother comes back."

"My aunt warned."

"Oh~"

Xu Lingyin knelt on the stool, her small hands supporting her on the edge of the table. Reluctantly, she turned her gaze to the outside of the hall, just in time to see the three of them returning.

"Big brother!"

The little bean sprouted a loud shout, leaped off the stool, put his hands on his hips, opened them behind him, lowered his head, and charged forward aggressively.

Xu Pingzhi and Xu Xinnian simultaneously stepped aside to give way.

The little boy bumped into Xu Qi'an's arms.

"What strength!" He was taken aback. He scrutinized his sister; she hadn't changed much in just a month. Well, if he had to say, her face was rounder.

Like a round, red apple.

This indicates that the little one has very strong Qi and Blood.

Based on the impact just now, Xu Qi'an estimated that her current strength was at the ninth-grade Essence Refining Realm.

"This is terrifying! When I was her age, I was still shaking when I did a horse stance." Xu Qi'an was shocked.

He patted Xu Lingyin's head and glanced at the three women in the hall.

Xu Lingyue had already met her. Lina's skin had become fairer, but the biggest change was in her aunt. Her features were beautiful and delicate, and her skin was fair and radiant. Just looking at her face, she didn't look like a woman who had raised three children.

"Was it the youth-preserving pill that Chu Caiwei gave me? It works so well. If this were my previous life, I would have been rich. It's a pity I can't go back," he thought regretfully.

Aunt and Lingyue came forward. The former scanned her nephew, making sure he wasn't missing any limbs, then raised her chin slightly and said rather reservedly:

"You're back!"

She suddenly twitched her nostrils and furrowed her delicate brows. "It smells like green citrus again, and it's so strong?"

Second Uncle Xu quickly took out the green tangerines in his hand and smiled without changing his expression:

"Green tangerines can cure coughs, so I bought some for Lingyin. She ate one on the way, so it still has a flavor."

Upon hearing Xu Lingyin, Xu Lingyin's face immediately fell.

Second Uncle Xu glared at him and said, "What are you standing there for? Come and get it!"

Xu Lingyin frowned slightly as she hugged the bag of green tangerines to her chest.

She glanced at her father, then at the green tangerines in her arms. Her stubby fingers rummaged through them; there were only four. She felt she had enough.

Her two light eyebrows were relaxed.

"Cough cough!"

Xu Erlang cleared his throat, took out the butter paper bag hidden behind his back, handed it to Xu Lingyin, and said:

"Second brother is also worried about your cough."

Xu Lingyin was stunned, and Xu Qi'an seemed to see a series of question marks above her head.

Xu Pingzhi and Xu Xinnian, having passed the hot potato to the children, sat down at the table in high spirits.

Xu Lingyin looked like she was about to cry.

Seeing this, Xu Qi'an felt a pang of pity and said:

"Lingyin, your older brother brought you a gift this time."

The little one immediately broke into a bright, sunny smile, as if the clouds had parted and the snow had cleared, forgetting all her unhappiness, and said in a sweet voice:

"Where's the gift? Where's the gift, brother?"

Xu Qi'an immediately took out the green tangerine he had hidden behind his back and placed it in the little boy's arms.

Xu Lingyin -- Harvest [Green Oranges x3]

The poor little child was completely stunned, never expecting his father, older brothers, and second older brothers to treat him this way.

The little one suddenly burst into tears:

"I don't want to eat oranges, I don't want to eat oranges!"

Having already shifted the blame, Xu Erlang said with a relaxed expression:

"If you don't want to eat it, just throw it away."

Upon hearing this, the little bean sprouted an even louder cry of distress.

She couldn't bear to throw away the winter bamboo shoot that Xu Erlang had picked up with his chopsticks.

Even if it tastes terrible, I'll still eat it. Second Uncle Xu slurped down his drink.

Second Uncle and Erlang are really inhuman, ugh. Xu Qi'an picked up a piece of food for his aunt and said, "Remember to tell her to brush her teeth properly."

After several rounds of drinks, Second Uncle Xu picked up a piece of pig's head meat, chewed it slowly, and then poured his son a cup of wine, saying in a deep voice:

"Everyone outside is saying that it was you who advised His Majesty to solicit donations?"

Xu Xinnian hummed in agreement and explained:

"Actually, the best way would be to confiscate their property, but Emperor Yongxing had just ascended the throne and his position was not yet secure. Therefore, we could only adopt a more moderate approach."

"Originally, he disagreed with calling for donations because any action he took during his tenure would be magnified and over-interpreted by his subordinates."

"If you want to secure your position on the throne, it's best not to do anything. Wait until you've gained enough power before taking decisive action."

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

Xu Pingzhi shook his head, stared at Erlang, and said:

"I don't understand these things either. But I heard a colleague say something today."

He paused, then said in a deep voice:

"Whoever makes me pay, I'll chop off their mother's Erlang," that person said to Dad.

"If this isn't handled well, your future will be ruined. Well, with Chief Minister Wang as your backer, it's not that bad, but you'll be sidelined for many years."

Xu Xinnian's expression was grave. "I know."

Aunt and Xu Lingyue rarely went out and had no way of getting information, so they didn't know what had happened.

It wasn't appropriate to ask too many questions about official matters, so the mother and daughter exchanged a glance, ate with furrowed brows, and listened intently.

Xu Xinnian continued:

"Isn't our eldest brother back? With him here, Father, what are you worried about?"

Aunt and Xu Lingyue relaxed their brows and ate their meal without any distractions.

Xu Qi'an then asked:

What's the current situation in the imperial court?

Xu Xinnian paused for a moment, then slowly said:

"The Wang faction is dominant, the Wei faction is now led by Liu Hong, the Left Censor-in-Chief who controls the Nightwatchers's office, and the other factions remain unchanged."

"In order to stabilize the situation, the Grand Secretary did not take advantage of the new emperor's ascension to the throne to eliminate dissidents on a large scale. Fortunately, he did not do so, otherwise the court would be in chaos and the people would be in chaos as well."

"Furthermore, although Emperor Yongxing relies heavily on the Grand Secretary, he is not a fool. If the Grand Secretary were to eliminate dissidents, Emperor Yongxing would not be able to sit still."

Xu Qi'an chuckled and teased:

Why haven't you called your father-in-law yet?

Xu Xinnian retorted, "Because I'm a decent person, unlike my older brother."

The two brothers turned to look at the green orange in front of Xu Lingyin and tacitly ended the topic.

Xu Qi'an then asked, "What is the government's reaction to this donation?"

"That's pretty much angered everyone," Xu Xinnian sneered.

Few agree, many remain on the sidelines, while verbal and written criticism abounds.

Second Uncle Xu added, "Erlang is now a rat in the street; everyone curses him when they see him."

Xu Xinnian snorted coldly:

"If it were just criticism, that would be one thing, but some people even want to kick me while I'm down and impeach me. If the fundraising campaign doesn't come to fruition, I, as the proposer, will be held accountable and punished later."

"He might be transferred out at that time."

My aunt reacted strongly and immediately shouted:

"Then I'd rather you resign your post than leave the capital. The world is in such chaos now; I've heard there are refugees and bandits everywhere."

This is the downside of a dynastic system. The court belongs to the royal family, but the money is mine. I may be in this position today, but I could be beheaded by the emperor tomorrow. Expecting me to give away my entire fortune to fill the national treasury is wishful thinking. Xu Qi'an suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

He pondered for a moment and then asked, "Are there any detailed rules?"

Xu Xinnian nodded:

"Of course there are. Officials of different ranks have minimum donation standards, which are determined based on their salaries. This can prevent officials from blindly demanding money and lining their own pockets during the implementation process."

"In addition, I propose that Your Majesty erect a monument to commemorate this achievement and place it in the Imperial Academy and schools in various prefectures and counties, so that students throughout the land may admire it."

"Then."

He rambled on and on, but Xu Qi'an waved his hand dismissively:

Just tell me, what do I need to do?

Xu Xinnian said, "Let's talk in the study later."

With business temporarily concluded, Xu Qi'an, who was about to indulge in a feast, asked the dark-skinned young man from Southern Frontier:

"Lina, how much do you know about the Seven Deadly Gu?"

Lina's cheeks bulged as she swallowed the food with difficulty.

"The Seven Deadly Gu was left behind by Granny Tian Gu's husband, the Heavenly Gu Elder. When the Heavenly Gu Elder left the Gu Clan, the Seven Deadly Gu had not yet been fully refined; Granny Tian Gu completed it for him."

What happened next?

"Later, Granny Tiangu gave me the Seven Deadly Gu and told me to come to the capital to find a destined person."

"I know all of that." Xu Qi'an thought for a moment and asked, "Besides that, what else do you know?"

Lina started eating again. "That's all."

Xu Qi'an frowned. "The Seven Absolute Gu can grant a person seven Gu techniques simultaneously. Don't you find that strange? Did the Gu Clan have such a thing before?"

Lina nodded seriously. "That's strange!"

Xu Qi'an then said, "Then why don't you investigate?"

Lina looked at him and asked in return:

Why should we investigate?

There are so many things I can't understand. If I had to investigate everything, wouldn't that be too tiring?

"Right, Lingyin."

Xu Qi'an's mind was full of complaints, but he couldn't refute them.

The little boy nodded vigorously. "Yes, Master!"

She seized the opportunity to drag her master into the mess and help share the burden. "Master, can you eat an orange with me?"

Lina shook her head repeatedly. "Go to the Bureau of Astronomy and find Sister Caiwei."

"Then do you think there's any connection between the Seven Deadly Gu and the Gu God?" Xu Qi'an brought the topic back.

"All the Gu poisons in the world are related to the Gu God."

Lina rarely showed a serious expression. "The Gu God slumbers in the Abyss. Its power has changed the Southern Frontier. The creatures around it have absorbed the power emanating from the Gu God, causing them to mutate, thus giving rise to the Gu."

Xu Qi'an nodded. "I've heard you mention it; this is the origin of the Seven Great Gu Techniques."

"Yes, different creatures absorb different powers, resulting in different mutations. Occasionally, creatures and Gu masters with dual Gu techniques will appear, but only the Gu God possesses all seven Gu techniques."

Lina said.

Only Gu God Xu Qi'an suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

The same dusk, the sunset like blood.

A luxurious carriage made of Phoebe zhennan wood entered the palace amidst the rumbling of its wheels.

Lin'an, looking gloomy, stepped off a small stool, wrapped himself in a fox fur cloak, and entered the imperial study under the guidance of a eunuch.

Emperor Yongxing, engrossed in his official duties, said irritably:

"What does the Bureau of Astronomy possess that would make His Highness Lin'an so attached?"

Lin'an said angrily, "There's nothing to miss, I just don't want to go back to the palace. I've been sleeping all day."

Emperor Yongxing raised his head, put down the memorial, and said:

"I'm still waiting for your news."

"He agreed," Lin'an replied succinctly.

"I knew it. With you taking charge in Lin'an, he would never refuse," Emperor Yongxing laughed heartily.

He did not linger in Lin'an and took his leave.

Emperor Yongxing watched as she stepped across the threshold and walked away down the steps. He took a deep breath and clenched his fist in excitement.

On the large desk lay a thick stack of memorials impeaching Xu Xinnian.

P. S.: Going to the hospital for a nucleic acid test tomorrow, going to sleep now.