Xu’s Second Uncle and Xu Lingyue noticed her unusual behavior and turned to look outside the hall.
In the night, Xu Qi’an appeared wearing a sky-blue brocade robe, carrying a jar of wine. He walked into the glow cast by the lanterns under the eaves. With another step, he crossed the threshold and entered the inner hall.
“Ning Yan!” Joy spread across Second Uncle’s face as he abruptly stood up to welcome his nephew.
His aunt and Lingyue also broke into smiles, though the former immediately sniffed and assumed an aloof manner, while the latter beamed like a little girl, rising with her father to greet her elder brother.
“Second Uncle, I’m home,” Xu Qi’an said with a smile.
For a returning wanderer, those simple words—”I’m home”—were enough.
“It’s good to have you back.” Second Uncle patted his nephew’s shoulder and took the wine from his hands. He turned to his wife’s maid Lü’e and said, “Prepare bowls and chopsticks for the Young Master.”
Xu Lingyue seized the opportunity and called out softly, “Elder Brother~”
Her tone was light and cheerful, revealing the young lady’s current joy.
Xu Qi’an studied his younger sister, his smile gentle: “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. You’ve grown even more beautiful.”
Having perfectly inherited her aunt’s beauty, she was outstanding in appearance—ethereally beautiful with delicate features.
Lingyue’s smile grew even sweeter as she gently complained, “Elder Brother returns home today without sending word ahead. I could have prepared some of your favorite dishes to go with the wine.”
The three sat down at the table, and after Lü’e brought the bowls and chopsticks, Xu Qi’an and Second Uncle drank and chatted casually, speaking of Second Young Master who was in Yong Province.
“Ning Yan, since you’ve returned to the capital, you must have heard about Qing Province falling,” Second Uncle said after taking a sip of wine. “Then surely you’ve visited Second Young Master in Yong Province? Your aunt has been worried about him. I kept telling her that if anything had truly happened to him, you would have come back to tell us.”
Xu Qi’an’s expression froze slightly: “Qing Province fell some time ago. Hasn’t Second Uncle written to inquire about Second Young Master’s situation?”
Second Uncle’s expression also stiffened.
Uncle and nephew fell into wordless silence, staring at each other.
Though it seemed inappropriate, why did this familiar sense of déjà vu exist? It felt like something similar had happened before… After pondering for a moment, Xu Qi’an said, “It’s fine. The three Grand Scholars of the Cloud Deer Academy are in Yong Province. They’ll look after Second Young Master.”
Second Uncle could only comfort himself with this thought: “You’re right.”
At this moment, Xu Lingyue found an opportunity to interject, “Elder Brother, why do you smell of powder and rouge?”
Hearing this, Second Uncle immediately gave his nephew a look that said “You can’t trust a man without a mustache.”
“Oh? Is it that strong?” Xu Qi’an sniffed himself in surprise, then calmly explained, “I was just drinking with some colleagues from the Night Watchmen’s Office. There were some ladies present, but I was only thinking of coming back to see my Second Uncle, Aunt, and you, little sister. I stayed only briefly before returning.”
Xu Lingyue responded with an “oh” and smiled brightly, completely satisfied with this answer.
Mainly because there were no green tangerines available this late at night, and Ling Yin wasn’t home to watch her eat them with that fierce expression… Xu Qi’an mused to himself.
With Lingyue’s interruption, the family temporarily forgot about Second Young Master’s situation.
Xu Pingzhi pondered for a moment before saying, “I heard the Princess Royal is ascending to the throne.”
Xu Qi’an then explained the general situation, including his reasons for insisting on deposing Yongxing.
“These are turbulent times,” Second Uncle sighed. “After the Princess Royal ascends the throne, what are your plans?”
Xu Qi’an thought for a moment before carefully saying, “I will first go to Qing Province to meet Xu Pingfeng and formally settle things with him, a fight to the death.”
This would be his formal declaration of war as a player, representing both Great Zhou and himself, against Cloud Province and Xu Pingfeng.
Xu Pingzhi’s expression became complex, filled with sadness, helplessness, regret, and pain as he mumbled, “Flesh and blood fighting each other, father and son killing each other, how did it come to this…”
Xu Qi’an shook his head: “Second Uncle, he is not my father—you are my father.
“Between him and me, it must be a matter of life and death. He won’t let me go, and I won’t let him go either. I will hunt him to the ends of the earth, without rest.”
He poured wine for Xu Pingzhi and said with a grin, “Xu Pingfeng has no way out. He knows I won’t let him go, and of course, I know the same.”
His aunt spoke up: “I’ll have the clan remove his name immediately and expel him from the Xu family.”
His aunt would support her nephew unconditionally. Although this nephew was both annoying and poor with words, she had raised him after all.
Xu Pingfeng was her husband’s elder brother, not hers.
“Thank you, Aunt.”
For once, Xu Qi’an spoke properly, then continued: “Second Uncle, I have another brother and sister in Cloud Province. They came to the capital with the Cloud Province delegation purely to provoke me.
“They’re currently detained in the Bureau of Astronomy.”
He then told Second Uncle about Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai, including their interactions in Yong Province.
“They don’t sound like bad people, and they’re still of our Xu family bloodline after all,” Second Uncle said meaningfully. “Bring them home to meet us when you have time, and don’t mistreat them.”
Xu Lingyue suddenly said, “Father, how could Elder Brother mistreat them? Even if they’re hostile toward him and sided with the Cloud Province rebels who want to kill him, even if they oppose him at every turn, Elder Brother would never harm them despite all the grievances, considering they’re flesh and blood.”
Xu Pingzhi was about to nod when he was startled by his wife angrily slapping the table.
“Bah! They’re just two bad seeds. What’s the point of bringing them back?” His aunt raged. “You’re not allowed to bring them to the manor.”
“Why are you getting so angry out of nowhere…” Second Uncle tried to reason with his wife.
Xu Qi’an glanced at his sister and quickly said, “Alright, alright, there’s no need to argue about them. Second Uncle, let’s drink.”
Xu Lingyue smiled gracefully: “Elder Brother, have some wine.”
She obediently poured him a cup.
Look at that sister from Cloud Province, only thinking of harming you, not like me, who only cares for Elder Brother’s well-being.
…
At dawn, when the sky was just beginning to brighten.
In the imperial palace, drums and music played together in a magnificent symphony.
The coronation ceremony was extremely complex. First, the Minister of Rites led the court officials in performing sacrifices to Heaven and Earth on behalf of the new ruler.
Afterward, the new ruler wore mourning clothes to make offerings to the imperial ancestors in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Only after these two steps were completed did the coronation ceremony truly begin.
The Minister of Rites led the ministry officials to the Temple of Heaven, the Altar of Agriculture, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple to inform the spirits and the souls of past emperors that the new ruler would soon ascend the throne.
Upon their return, ceremonial music began to play, and majestic bell tolls echoed outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
In the Eastern Palace.
Huaiqing was being dressed in the Great Robe of State by her palace maids.
This ceremonial dress was extremely complex, consisting of a crown, middle garment, great fur robe, dark robe, and red skirt. The crown was adorned with gold and had twelve strings of pearls hanging down.
The upper garment was decorated with six patterns: the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and flowered insects. The lower garment was embroidered with six more patterns: aquatic plants, fire, grains of rice, ancestral temples, axe patterns, and repeated bow patterns. Together these made up the Twelve Symbols, which is why it was also called the Twelve Symbols Robe.
After she was fully dressed, two palace maids brought a human-height bronze mirror and placed it before Huaiqing.
In the bronze mirror, Princess Royal wore light makeup with emphasized eyebrows, highlighting her martial and sharp spirit.
She was originally a cold and noble woman, and now wearing the Twelve Symbols Robe with the twelve-stringed crown, she emanated an aura of magnificence and authority.
Even her usually cheerful head palace maid didn’t dare to breathe loudly now, keeping her head lowered and eyes down, as meek as a quail.
Rarely had the world seen such a formidable woman.
A Rites Ministry official entered the Eastern Palace gates and respectfully said from behind the curtain:
“Your Highness, it is time.”
Huaiqing responded with a “mm,” and surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, left the Eastern Palace, heading toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony amid the majestic sounds of bells and drums.
Crossing the Golden Water Bridge and passing through the square, Huaiqing walked up the vermillion steps. Her gaze fixed on the Hall of Supreme Harmony ahead, where she could faintly see the magnificent throne high above in the resplendent hall.
In her mind flashed images: Yuan Jing, who was suspicious by nature and couldn’t tolerate talented children holding power; the gray-templed Grand Commander Wei Yuan; the infallible Guardian of Great Zhou, the Director; and the weak and indecisive Yongxing.
When she swept her sleeves and sat upon the throne, no other figures remained in her eyes.
All had passed!
From now on, it would be her era—no, it would be her and Xu Qi’an’s era.
She and he were the two people standing at the pinnacle of power in Great Zhou today.
The civil and military officials, led by the Ministry of Rites officials, entered through the Meridian Gate, crossed the Golden Water Bridge, and lined up in order of rank on both sides of the imperial way.
Then, the Grand Secretary of Wuying Hall and First Minister Qian Qingshu brought forth the enthronement edict, passing it to the Minister of Rites at the steps, who then handed it to the Rites Ministry official to place on a cloud tray, which was delivered to the Ceremonial Eunuch.
The Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Ceremonial Office, wearing a red python robe, bowed as he received the cloud tray and read the edict to the assembled officials:
“The edict declares:
“In ancient times, our founding emperor soared like a dragon from the Ji River, sweeping clean all under heaven, reaching east to Jing Mountain and west to the Buddhist lands. His benevolent influence and righteous reputation shook the six directions, curing Great Zhou’s stubborn ailments and restoring peace to the four seas. For six hundred years, the four seas knew peace, his brilliant achievements surpassing those of human sovereigns.
“Elder brother Yongxing, though of common birth, inherited this great enterprise, but his nature was unfilial, his mind confused and weak. He neither respected the ancestors above nor loved the people below, fawning over rebels, incurring the wrath of both gods and men.
“Though I am a woman, I have received Heaven’s favor and the ancestors’ blessing, accepting this mandate in times of peril, gathering worthy talents to my side. Now the civil and military officials and common people jointly urge me forward, respecting me as emperor to rule over the black-haired people.
“Yielding to these numerous requests, on the seventeenth day of the first month, I shall ascend to the imperial throne, establishing the reign name ‘Huaiqing.’ With the great ceremony complete, all matters of state shall proceed accordingly.”
As the words ended!
On both sides of the imperial way, all civil and military officials knelt, crying out:
“Long live Her Majesty! Long live! Long, live!”
The shouts were like a tsunami, deafening to the ears.
From atop the dragon throne, Huaiqing looked down upon her officials, ruling over all under heaven.
…
At the Star-Observing Tower, Eight Trigrams Platform.
Mu Nanzhi, wearing an elegant lotus-colored dress, stood at the edge of the platform and gently removed the bracelet from her right wrist.
The wind lifted her skirt and dark hair, making her appear like an immortal maiden from the jade terrace, her beauty unmatched in the mortal realm.
She raised her right arm, her sleeve sliding down to reveal a frost-white wrist.
With jade-like fingers making a flower-pinching gesture, Mu Nanzhi closed her eyes and softly chanted:
“I wish for the capital’s flowers to bloom, filling the world with fragrance!”
In the void invisible to mortal eyes, seeds of life dispersed from her body, carried by the wind.
Where they drifted over the riverside, willow trees sprouted.
Where they passed through courtyards, thousands of flowers bloomed; where they floated through streets and alleys, plants grew wild, flowers blossoming in an instant.
From high above, one could see the brilliant colors spreading throughout the capital, flower fragrance drifting, delighting both heart and spirit.
…
Later historical records noted:
In the first year of Huaiqing, on the seventeenth day of the first month, the Empress ascended the throne. In the capital, flowers bloomed in an instant, their subtle fragrance extending for miles. This auspicious sign from heaven drove the capital’s citizens wild with joy, and they came out of their homes to kneel in the streets, shouting “Long live!”
What the historical records didn’t mention was that on the day the city bloomed with flowers, Xu the Bell-Ringer spent the entire day arranging flowers at the Bureau of Astronomy’s Star-Observing Tower.
…
Mu Nanzhi’s vision darkened, and she collapsed limply.
She didn’t fall to the ground but into Xu Qi’an’s arms.
“Rest a while!”
Xu Qi’an held the mature beauty’s waist, feeling that nothing in the world could feel better than this, nor could anything compare.
Mu Nanzhi lay limply in his embrace, dizzy and murmuring:
“It’s, it’s all your fault… my head is killing me…”
Her half-coquettish, half-angry manner could melt a man’s bones.
Xu Qi’an raised his hand to gently massage her brow, sighing:
“Among the world’s beauties numbering thousands, only the Flower Goddess is irreplaceable and unique.”
Mu Nanzhi frowned:
“Stop with the sweet talk. Even if you talk until your lips wear out, I won’t dual cultivate with you again. After helping you advance to Second Grade, we’re even. If you force me, I’ll become a nun.”
Xu Qi’an couldn’t tell if she was being tsundere or if her first night was so unforgettable that it had left psychological trauma.
“Alright, alright!”
He picked up the beautiful forty-year-old woman and carried her down the stairs from the Eight Trigrams Platform.
Mu Nanzhi wasn’t seriously hurt, just severely depleted and exhausted, which made her whole body uncomfortable.
The spiritual essence of the Undying Tree was still awakening, limiting the power she could use. Making the entire city bloom was somewhat taxing for Mu Nanzhi in her current state.
“Still feeling unwell?”
Xu Qi’an poured her a cup of warm water, infusing it with a bit of spiritual energy.
Mu Nanzhi was dizzy and light-headed, letting out a soft moan:
“I want to rest…”
“Let’s dual cultivate a bit, it can quickly restore your spirit and energy,” Xu Qi’an suggested opportunistically.
He wasn’t deceiving her—dual cultivation could indeed restore one’s energy much faster than natural recovery when exhausted.
“No, if you, if you touch me, I’ll become a nun,” Mu Nanzhi quickly shook her head and spat:
“Shameless.”
She lay weakly on her side on the bed, her feet feebly kicking a few times, seemingly trying to kick off her embroidered shoes but failing.
Xu Qi’an grabbed her foot and helped remove her shoes and silk stockings.
“Let me massage them for you, you’ll feel much better…”
“You can only massage my feet, don’t think of doing anything else.”
“Am I that kind of person?”
“Mm, mmm, be gentle…”
…
Cloud Deer Academy.
Zhao Shou had fasted for two days, and today he bathed, changed into a new robe, meticulously combed his hair, and put on his scholar’s cap.
He had also carefully trimmed his graying beard with a razor.
Suddenly, he appeared completely renewed, worlds apart from his previous image as an unrestrained, eccentric scholar.
Zhao Shou took out a bamboo book box from a long-sealed cabinet. He carefully wiped the dust off the box with a handkerchief, shouldered it, and left Cloud Deer Academy.
Just like years ago when he had carried it on his journey to study, traveling thousands of miles to study at the Cloud Deer Academy in the capital.
After experiencing countless changes, he felt as if he had returned to his youth.
On the official road to the capital came the sound of clear recitation:
“…In youth one must study diligently, through writing one can establish oneself, and the entire court’s nobles in crimson and purple, all are men of learning…Don’t say the scholar’s cap misleads, for learning never betrays the person…”
…
When Mu Nanzhi awoke, the sky was dark, and the room was pitch black without any candles lit.
Is it dark already? Did I sleep that long? Her mind was foggy as she struggled to sit up, holding her head. After about ten seconds, her muddled thoughts gradually cleared, and she remembered casting the spell that made flowers bloom across the city earlier in the day.
I didn’t expect to recover so quickly… Mu Nanzhi felt that except for her foggy head, her physical condition was excellent, her dantian warm as if embracing a furnace.
She was about to lift the covers and get up when she suddenly noticed something wrong—her back felt chilly. Only then did she realize she was completely naked, her clothes had been stripped clean.
Then she remembered what happened after returning to the room with Xu Qi’an.
He had massaged her feet, and as he massaged, he moved up to her legs, and then… somehow they ended up dual cultivating.
“Shameless man.” Mu Nanzhi pulled out the pillow from behind her lower back and angrily threw it on the floor:
“How can anyone sleep on this pillow now!”
She lifted the covers and got out of bed, groping around in the dark on the floor beside the bed for a long time before finally finding her dress and quickly putting it on. Only then did she feel the wetness between her thighs.
The Flower Goddess was a clean person, but also a lazy woman. Just thinking about having to fetch water to bathe made her anger level rise “Whoosh.”
After putting on her dress, she felt her way to the table and lit a candle, dispelling the darkness.
The room was quiet. Bai Ji wasn’t there, neither was that broken sword nor the Pagoda of Myriad Buddhas, which made Mu Nanzhi guess that the scoundrel was probably still at the Bureau of Astronomy.
She lit all the candles in the room one by one and went behind the screen. In the bright candlelight, she saw the bathtub was filled with clean, clear water, definitely not the water they had dirtied last time.
Mu Nanzhi’s lips curled slightly upward, then she quickly straightened her face and snorted:
“That scoundrel, at least he has some conscience…”
…
In the underground chamber of the Bureau of Astronomy.
Xu Qi’an sat cross-legged in front of Zhong Li, asking dubiously:
“Are you sure that if I strike it enough times, I can obtain the Director’s trump card?”
Zhong Li sat like a duck in front of him, making sure she was slightly taller than Xu Qi’an and said timidly:
“The Fate-Scrambling Hammer is related to destiny and fate patterns. The teacher’s artifact crafting manual also said that those blessed with good fortune can gain enlightenment by striking it. So it must be meant for you.”
“But nothing has changed except for that time I became a courtesan, Wu Dalang, and a scholar,” Xu Qi’an frowned.
Zhong Li said softly:
“That’s not the point. The point is the Teacher’s purpose—what was his purpose in leaving the Fate-Scrambling Hammer? Was it to give you enlightenment? But you’re already Second Grade, you don’t need enlightenment.”
After speaking, she tilted her head, looking like she was testing him.
*Pat~* Xu Qi’an flicked her forehead with his finger, laughing:
“Are you testing my deductive reasoning?”
He immediately sobered, pondered for a moment, and analyzed:
“Although the Director suffered a setback, with his wisdom, he would leave some trump cards just in case. Even ordinary people know how to prepare for rainy days, let alone him.
“So, if Great Zhou lost him, the most fatal weakness would be the lack of top-tier supernatural combat power. Following this line of thinking, it’s not hard to deduce that the Director must have a way to compensate for the disparity in combat power.
“The Fate-Scrambling Hammer is related to destiny, enlightenment…”
As his thoughts became clearer, suddenly a flash of inspiration struck Xu Qi’an’s mind like lightning.
He looked at the small wooden hammer in Zhong Li’s hand with blazing eyes, his body trembling with excitement.
He had figured out the true purpose of the Fate-Scrambling Hammer.