Aunt Mu

Clear Cloud Mountain, Cloud Deer Academy.

In the academy, which was always shrouded in Vast Righteous Qi, Yang Gong's eyelids trembled slightly before he opened his eyes.

His first sensation was excruciating pain, his muscles were torn apart, and his meridians were severed. Then his lungs burned, his mouth was dry, and every breath aggravated his injuries.

However, he was in good spirits, his mind was clear, and faint rays of light emanated from every inch of his flesh and blood, every cell.

With some difficulty moving his limbs, Yang Gong tried to sit up but failed. He said in a deep voice:

"Tea, please!"

The teapot on the table flew up on its own, moved to just above his lips, and then tilted its spout to pour tea at a leisurely pace.

Glug, glug. Yang Gong opened his mouth to take the tea, drank until he was half full, and the burning sensation in his lungs and dry mouth subsided considerably.

After quenching his thirst, Yang Gong looked around the room and realized that this was his residence in the academy.

I brought my troops back to the academy. I don't know if Yongzhou was saved. How many of the soldiers who retreated with me are still alive? Yang Gong felt heavy-hearted when he thought about the battle.

The joy of surviving a near-death experience also diminishes.

How long have I been unconscious? Has the war in the north ended? With the current strength of Yongzhou's troops, if they hold out to the death, not many people will survive. Yang Gong became more and more anxious as he thought about it. After struggling for a while, he finally sat up.

He exhaled and said in a deep voice:

"Well-dressed!"

The robe hanging on the clothes rack flew up on its own, and the scholar's robe, which would normally be troublesome to put on, was put on in the blink of an eye. Her hair was automatically tied up, and a jade hairpin flew over and inserted into her hair bun.

Then, Yang Gong read aloud:

"Where I am is the bamboo hut on the back mountain."

Yang Gong's vision blurred, and he knew he was teleporting. He saw Dean Zhao Shou's bamboo hut gradually become clearer, and just as he was about to arrive, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears:

No, you're not in the bamboo hut, you're here with me.

The bamboo hut, so close at hand, blurred, and another scene appeared before Yang Gong's eyes—in an elegant and bright tea room, Li Mubai and Chen Tai, dressed in wide robes and sleeves, were drinking tea and playing chess. Not far from the two of them, Zhang Shen stood by the table, instructing Xu Xinnian on how to deeply control the abilities of the Confucian scholar realm.

This scene was so leisurely and harmonious that Yang Gong was stunned and wondered if he was hallucinating.

Zhang Shen glanced at him sideways and said:

"The dean is on official business in the cabinet, not at the academy."

After saying that, he continued to instruct his favorite student.

"You..." Yang Gong took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and tentatively asked, "How long have I been unconscious? What is the current situation of the battle? Has Yongzhou been defended? What is the outcome of the Northern Border Tribulation Battle?"

"You've been unconscious for half a month." Li Mubai said without looking up, as he placed a chess piece down with a snap.

"The rebellion in Yunzhou has been quelled. Xu Pingfeng is dead, and Qi Guangbo and other rebel generals will be beheaded in Caishikou three days later." Chen Tai said regretfully, "The dean made me stay at the academy to guard the place, and I didn't get a single military merit."

Xu Erlang looked up at the Layman Ziyang and added:

My older brother,

"It's reached the highest rank."

Yang Gong's mind was buzzing. Although he saw their leisurely appearance and had a vague guess in his heart, Yang Gong was conservative and only guessed that the Northern Border Tribulation Battle had been successfully completed, the Great Feng had regained the advantage, and was in a stalemate with the Yunzhou rebels.

Unexpectedly, it was all over.

It's like a young man who had nothing and only wanted to get married, but on his wedding day, he suddenly had a mansion, a carriage, a beautiful wife, and even children—it couldn't be more perfect.

Of all the realities, what Yang Gong found most unbelievable was that Xu Qi'an had reached the first rank?!

A first-class martial artist?

If I remember correctly, Xu Ningyan was promoted to the second rank after the Supervisor was sealed away. How long has it been? It's only been a short time, and he's already become a first-rank martial artist?

However, if Xu Qi'an were to truly advance to the first rank, and cooperate with the Imperial Preceptor, a veritable celestial being, it would indeed be possible to quell the rebellion in Yunzhou in a very short time.

Li Mubai laughed:

"The fact that we can leisurely play chess here is the best proof of that."

Yang Gong let out a breath, barely managing to process this shocking news.

Chen Tai scrutinized Yang Gong:

"Your body Vast Righteous Qi, cleansing your physical form; you are about to enter the third rank."

After saying that, he, Li Mubai, and Zhang Shen were all envious.

Yang Gong smiled:

"This is the gratitude the imperial court, the soldiers, and the people have shown me."

Since the uprising began in Yunzhou, Yang Gong had been at the forefront of the resistance against the rebels, working tirelessly from Qingzhou to Yongzhou, and nearly dying in battle.

He finally achieved a breakthrough by taking this opportunity and touched the threshold of the third rank.

Chen Tai said sourly:

"The Dean said that His Majesty intends to promote you to Capital Prefecture. Once the imperial edict is issued, your words will be law, and you will be able to advance to the Transcendent level. Zhang Shen and Li Mubai have also gained considerable military merit and benefited greatly. They are just waiting for the court to grant them official positions, and their cultivation will surely advance to a higher level."

Fortunately, after Huaiqing ascended the throne, the court no longer objected to the scholars of the Cloud Deer Academy.

Previously, the emperor, the supervisor, and other officials had suppressed the scholars of the Cloud Deer Academy, thus limiting the development of Confucian School.

Now, with the Central Plains in turmoil and the court reshuffling, officials no longer resist Cloud Deer Academy, and even welcome it.

After all, class interests take precedence over individual interests. Classes come first, then individuals; if classes cease to exist, what is the point of discussing individual interests?

In the eyes of these gentlemen, the scholars of the Cloud Deer Academy were the ones who could stabilize class interests.

Yang Gong sighed:

Compared to Xu Ningyan, this is nothing.

"Xu Ningyan truly deserves to be my student. I, Yang, have been teaching for twenty years, nurturing countless students, but Xu Ningyan is the one I particularly cherish."

Li Mubai spat out a mouthful of tea:

"Brazen!"

Chen Tai sneered:

"After studying the classics your whole life, all you've learned is the word 'shameless'?"

"It's a pity you didn't have the chance to record the Law Technique; actual combat is the best way to master the abilities of a Confucian scholar."

While instructing his disciples, Zhang Shen turned his head and spat:

"Pooh!"

"Isn't there an opportunity right now?" Xu Xinnian thought for a moment and said.

"Teacher, now that I work at the Hanlin Academy, when we compile history in the future, I can add this entry: 'The Xu brothers both studied under Zhang Shen in their youth!'"

After he finished speaking, the tea room fell silent.

"Quick, hurry out and see the show! These Confucian scholars are fighting again!"

"Why did this fight break out? Did Xu Yinluo come?"

"Let's go, let's go see what's going on!"

"Oh no, the dean isn't at the academy. Will they tear it down?"

The Vast Righteous Qi Clear Cloud Mountain was thrown into chaos, while pure energy surged into the sky.

Students rushed out of the classroom, watching with great interest as the four great scholars exchanged blows in the air. The students noticed that the scholars were particularly agitated today, wishing they could kill each other.

Xu Xinnian seized the opportunity to record many Law Technique that, while not of high grade, were extremely practical. He then tucked the "magic book" into his pocket and left Clear Cloud Mountain in a good mood.

"The teacher is right. Real-world practice is the best opportunity to hone one's skills in the Confucian scholar realm, and the results have been quite good."

Xu Xinnian mounted his horse and rode back to the capital along the straight and wide official road.

He was in a good mood because he had finally reached the sixth rank and become a "Confucian scholar". In the Confucian School system, only those who reach the sixth rank are considered to have considerable combat power.

Only when one reaches the sixth rank can one be considered a true pillar of Confucian School.

"Although I can't catch up with my eldest brother, I can't fall too far behind. Now I'm considered a master to some extent. In the Xu Household, my cultivation talent ranks second, even my father is not as good as me," Xu Xinnian thought to himself.

As for Lingyin, she was just a little girl, and she was only a ninth-rank official when she left the capital.

The Xu Residence.

Xu Lingyue sat in the pavilion, her chin resting on her hand, watching the little white fox darting in and out of the flowerbed. Her mother and Mu Nanzhi squatted by the flowerbed, planting Rare Flowers and Exotic Herbs.

"Mother, my elder brother's wedding to Princess Lin'an is approaching. Should we bring Lingyin back?"

Xu Lingyue thought of her younger sister who had been abandoned and left to grow up wild in Southern Frontier.

Upon hearing this, the aunt immediately remembered that she also had a young daughter, and quickly nodded:

"I almost forgot if you hadn't mentioned it. We really do need to bring him back. I'll talk to your older brother about it when he gets back."

Bai Ji, who was running happily in the flowerbed, suddenly stopped, her face full of vigilance.

What's wrong with it?

The aunt noticed Bai Ji's unusual behavior.

"You remembered your daughter wanting to eat it, didn't you?" Mu Nanzhi said, unsurprised.

After they planted the flowers and plants, Mu Nanzhi gently blew on them, and the entire flowerbed instantly blossomed with flowers of various shapes and sizes, making her aunt's eyes sparkle with admiration.

Mu Nanzhi said:

"Your flower-growing techniques are more suited to the south, and are the methods commonly used by wealthy families. But Beijing is further north, so many flowers don't grow well there."

Aunt said helplessly:

"It was Ningyan's mother who taught me. Back then, Xu Pingzhi was fighting in Shanhai Pass, and I was bored at home all by myself, so I learned to grow flowers from her to pass the time."

Mu Nanzhi's heart stirred, and she asked:

What kind of person is Xu Ningyan's mother?

The aunt tried hard to recall for a moment, then shook her head and said:

"I don't remember exactly, but she was a really nice person. When she was around, I didn't have to worry about anything, it was so relaxing."

After all, it happened twenty-two years ago, and my aunt can't remember something that far back.

Just then, she heard her daughter in the pavilion shout with delight:

"Big brother."

The shouts abruptly ceased.

Aunt and Mu Nanzhi sensed something was amiss and turned to look. First, they saw Xu Qi'an, who was returning to the manor for the first time since the rebellion was quelled. Then, their gazes fell simultaneously on the graceful and gentle woman behind Xu Qi'an, who was clearly no ordinary person.

The aunt was stunned. In that instant, long-buried memories surged forth like a flood, washing over her mind.

Mu Nanzhi frowned; she instinctively rejected any woman around Xu Qi'an.

"Xiaoru."

With a smile on her face, Ji Baiqing slowly walked up to her aunt and said softly:

"Twenty-two years have passed, and you haven't changed at all."

Aunt's face was blank, her lips trembled slightly, and she said:

"Sister-in-law?"

The woman smiled and nodded.

Xu Qi'an explained from the side:

"I brought her back from Yunzhou."

Mu Nanzhi responded with an "Oh," and her slight hostility vanished. She didn't feel the awkwardness of "an ugly daughter-in-law meeting her mother-in-law," since she didn't like Xu Qi'an anyway, and everyone was completely innocent.

The aunt's expression was complex, showing both the joy of reuniting with an old friend and the awkwardness of not knowing how to greet her or interact with her.

"Lingyue greets Auntie."

Fortunately, she had a gentle and vulnerable daughter at home who stepped in to ease her embarrassment.

Auntie hurriedly said:

"Sister-in-law, this is my daughter, Lingyue. You left in such a hurry back then that you never even got to see my child."

As she spoke, her eyes suddenly reddened.

Xu Qi'an knew that his aunt had a very good impression of his birth mother. Whenever they talked about her in the past, his aunt would say that she was a very good person.

Ji Baiqing scrutinized Xu Lingyue, her smile gentle:

"It's beautiful!

"Is she betrothed?"

Upon hearing this, the aunt said helplessly:

"Not yet. Lingyue has high standards; she looks down on all the noble young men in the capital."

"A daughter is like a tree that grows up and cannot be kept at home; keeping her will only breed resentment. I must marry her off this year."

Ji Baiqing smiled and said:

"There's no rush. Finding a true lover is the hardest thing in the world. While parental consent is important, she also has to find someone she likes. I think Lingyue is a girl with her own opinions."

Xu Lingyue smiled slightly, feeling a surge of goodwill towards this unfamiliar aunt.

Aunt snorted:

"What opinions could she possibly have? She's just a spineless coward who can be bullied by anyone. She's nothing like me."

"Indeed, she's not like you, "Xu Qi'an muttered to himself. He was somewhat amazed by his birth mother's keen insight, which allowed her to discern from her aunt's helplessness that her mother couldn't make decisions, thus deducing that Lingyue was extremely opinionated.

After a brief reminiscing, the initial awkwardness of their long-awaited reunion gradually faded, and the aunt immediately said:

"Lingyue, take your aunt to the inner hall and have the servants serve tea."

She subtly gave Xu Qi'an a wink.

After Xu Lingyue led her sister-in-law into the inner hall, her aunt tugged at Xu Qi'an's sleeve and frowned, saying:

What's wrong with her?

Xu Qi'an glanced at her, understood his aunt's meaning, and whispered:

"It's a long story. If she hadn't secretly escaped back to the capital to give birth to me, I would probably be dead by now."

Only then was her aunt completely relieved.

Although she had a very good impression of this sister-in-law, she was also afraid that the sister-in-law was like Xu Pingfeng.

My aunt is particularly sensitive about money and children.

After comforting his aunt, Xu Qi'an turned to Mu Nanzhi and whispered:

How did you get here?

He clearly left Mu Nanzhi at the Star-Gazing Tower.

"Didn't you send me to the Xu Residence through Huaiqing?" Mu Nanzhi frowned and asked.

Xu Qi'an stopped asking.

The three entered the inner hall, Xu Lingyue had already prepared tea. The aunt, arm in arm with Mu Nanzhi, greeted them warmly:

"Sister-in-law, this is Mu Nanzhi, my sworn sister."

Before the woman could speak, Xu Qi'an suddenly raised his voice:

"What?!"

P. S.: I took a short nap in the first half of the night.