Since ancient times, civilians have had an innate reverence for officials. Seeing the imposing yamen, the armed guards, and the stern-faced night watchmen coming and going, Aunt and Xu Lingyin felt somewhat intimidated.
It was Aunt’s first time at the yamen, and she was very nervous. To calm her nerves, she held Xu Lingyin tightly in her arms, vigorously rubbing her. The little bean’s face contorted into various shapes under Aunt’s hands.
Xu Lingyue silently moved closer to Xu Qi’an.
“Ning Yan…” A somewhat familiar Bronze Gong came over to greet them, his gaze lingering on Aunt and Xu Lingyue. Evidently, he was attracted by their beauty.
“This is my sister,” Xu Qi’an nodded, introducing Xu Lingyue.
The Bronze Gong immediately smiled in acknowledgment, then looked at Aunt. “Is this your elder sister?”
Aunt was stunned at first, then beamed with joy, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
Xu Qi’an rolled his eyes. “Have you ever seen a 36-year-old elder sister?”
“Xu Ning Yan!” Aunt trembled with anger.
Had he really revealed her age? Aunt took a deep breath, telling herself not to get angry… She had to maintain her composure in front of others and couldn’t pounce on her nephew to scratch his face.
The Bronze Gong took a few more glances at Aunt and Xu Lingyue before reluctantly walking away.
Xu Qi’an led the three women towards the Chunfeng Hall. Along the way, they encountered many familiar colleagues who warmly greeted Xu Qi’an. Several of them mistook Aunt for Xu Qi’an’s elder sister, indirectly complimenting her youthful beauty.
Arriving at the side hall of Chunfeng Hall, Xu Qi’an instructed a clerk to serve tea. Aunt’s nervousness vanished completely, and she smiled, “Every night watchman at the yamen is handsome and speaks so pleasantly.”
Aunt, your words sound a bit strange… Xu Qi’an said, “I’ll go wait at the yamen entrance.”
He waited at the entrance for a quarter of an hour before three constables from the prefectural yamen arrived with Mr. and Mrs. Zhao Shen.
“Sir, the criminals have been brought,” the young constable saluted respectfully.
“Mm,” Xu Qi’an nodded, reaching out to take the rope. “Wait here. I’ll send the criminals to the prison and come back to return the rope.”
Mr. and Mrs. Zhao Shen were terrified, their faces pale. As citizens of the capital, who didn’t know the reputation of the night watchmen? Everyone knew that the night watchmen’s prison was a place of no return. Even if one managed to get out, they’d be stripped of a layer of skin, spending the rest of their lives in pain.
This was all Nan Gong Qian Rou’s fault. He had single-handedly created the notoriety of the night watchmen’s prison.
Zhao Shen’s wife plopped down on the ground, crying and making a scene. “I won’t go into the night watchmen’s yamen. Just kill me, kill me!”
This woman was clearly used to throwing tantrums at home, and old habits die hard. Even at the night watchmen’s yamen, she remained unruly and unreasonable.
Xu Qi’an’s eyes flashed coldly. He snatched the scabbard from a guard and slapped her hard.
Poof… The woman spat out three large teeth, her mouth full of blood. She covered her face, seemingly dazed by the blow.
“If you want to die, that’s easy. I’ll grant your wish soon,” Xu Qi’an sneered. “Didn’t think about this when you were bullying others, did you?”
With that, he yanked the rope hard, forcibly dragging the couple into the yamen.
The three constables remained outside. One of them suddenly said, “That official… doesn’t he look familiar?”
“… Sir Xu? Before Captain Lü was promoted to Chief Constable, I worked under her and saw Sir Xu once. He’s changed so much, I barely recognized him.”
“I’ve seen him too. No wonder he looked so familiar. Wasn’t he supposed to be dead? During that time, Captain Lü was in a terrible mood, always losing her temper.”
…
Along the way, they attracted the attention of Bronze Gongs, who joked, “What kind of criminals is Sir Xu escorting? They’re crying and wailing.”
Xu Qi’an responded, “Just a couple of bullies who relied on powerful connections. Today, they’ll get a taste of society’s harsh lessons.”
Arriving at the night watchmen’s exclusive prison, the jail door opened with a clang, and a damp, gloomy air rushed out.
Zhao Shen’s face turned ashen, his eyes filled with despair and terror. This was the most regretful moment of his life. He never imagined that what started as a small matter would lead to such a great disaster.
The woman finally broke down, crying, “I pawned that bracelet. I’ll pay you back, I’ll pay you back. Don’t lock me in the prison…”
Zhao Shen stared at his wife with wide eyes. He finally understood why this mysterious official was so angry. So his son had indeed repeatedly bullied the official’s sister. So the stolen bracelet was real, and his wife knew everything all along.
It was over. Even officials with ranks would be wary of being caught by the night watchmen, let alone him. Would his uncle risk offending the night watchmen for his sake?
He regretted not clarifying the situation first, not handling the matter properly, and only thinking about using his uncle’s power to bully some commoners and minor officials.
Zhao Shen began to wail, muttering, “It’s over, it’s over…”
Suddenly, he flew into a rage, kicking his wife down and cursing, “It’s all your fault, it’s all your fault…”
He kept kicking and cursing, wishing he could divorce her, provided he could live to do so.
The woman howled in tears.
Xu Qi’an called for a jailer and had the couple imprisoned. Then he found the head jailer and instructed, “That couple who just came in, teach them a lesson, but mind your limits.”
“Your limits… you mean keep them alive, or just keep their legs?” the head jailer asked, troubled.
“…” Xu Qi’an said irritably, “Keep them alive, but beat them daily. Be careful when beating them, don’t break their arms or legs. I have use for these two, understand?”
With this explanation, the jailer understood. Sir Xu only wanted to punish them normally, making them suffer in jail.
“Just this? But this is the night watchmen’s prison,” the jailer thought. Why imprison them here for such a small matter?
“This is called reform through labor. As a night watchman, I guard the safety of the imperial city, trusted and valued by His Majesty. It’s my duty to educate the ignorant masses.”
“Sir is wise.”
After leaving the prison, he chatted idly with Aunt and his sister in the Chunfeng Hall until a black-robed clerk came to report that an official claiming to be the Lang Zhong of the Wenxuan Department was seeking an audience.
This was within Xu Qi’an’s expectations. The concept of clan in this world was much stronger than in his previous life. In his past life, it was hard to say how much effort an uncle would make if his nephew encountered such a situation.
After all, Xu Qi’an was not an ordinary night watchman now, but one holding a golden token.
“Bring him to the Chunfeng Hall,” Xu Qi’an stood up, left the side hall, and entered Li Yuchun’s “office,” sitting in his place.
In a while, I should also be a Silver Gong. Ah, there are ten Bronze Gong positions available. Who should I recruit? I’ll give one to Second Uncle, one to Aunt, one to Er Lang, one to Lingyue, oh, and Lingyin should get one too. Haha, the whole family will be on the payroll.
He was amusing himself with these thoughts when the doorway darkened, and the clerk led in an official with a goatee. He was over fifty, wearing a blue official robe with a white pheasant embroidered on the chest. His graying sideburns peeked out from under his official hat.
The moment he stepped over the threshold of Chunfeng Hall, this old official, who had been silent and imposing until now, broke into a warm smile:
“Sir Xu, I’ve long admired your name, long admired… Alas, my position is lowly, and I’ve never had the chance to meet you. I hear you’re a frequent guest in the Imperial Study.”
Xu Qi’an said calmly, “If you wanted to see me, couldn’t you have just gone to the Jiaofang Si?”
Lang Zhong Zhao was taken aback.
Xu Qi’an laughed heartily, “Lord Zhao is even less able to take a joke than the girls at Jiaofang Si… Haha, please sit, please sit. Someone, bring tea.”
Lang Zhong Zhao had subtly criticized Xu Qi’an, implying he was troublesome and had made many enemies.
Xu Qi’an, in turn, compared him to a courtesan.
After this exchange without swords or blades, a clerk brought hot tea. Lord Zhao took a sip and got straight to the point:
“Sir Xu, may I ask what wrong my unworthy nephew has committed?”
“It’s a big problem!” Xu Qi’an frowned, as if troubled on Lord Zhao’s behalf, and said, “He instructed children to commit robbery and extortion. After the incident, he gathered household guards, intending to harm me and my family.
“Lord Zhao, we are colleagues in the court and should give each other face, but… the law shows no mercy!”
Lord Zhao, seasoned in officialdom for many years, remained impassive and even showed a hint of shame: “It’s all my fault for not disciplining him properly, letting him act recklessly.”
Lord Zhao pulled out a banknote from his sleeve, placed it on the edge of the table, and sincerely apologized, “I hope Sir Xu can be lenient.”
Xu Qi’an glanced at it, the face value was one hundred, and sighed, “My sister was slightly injured.”
Lord Zhao pulled out another note.
Xu Qi’an sighed, “My aunt was slightly injured.”
Lord Zhao pulled out yet another note.
Xu Qi’an sighed, “My sister was slightly injured.”
“Sir Xu, your sister has already been injured once.”
“Oh, I have two sisters.”
Lord Zhao pulled out another note.
Xu Qi’an sighed, “This official was also slightly injured.”
Lord Zhao’s mouth twitched, and he took out another hundred taels.
“That lost bracelet was bestowed by His Majesty…”
Another note.
Now, there were six hundred taels on the table. Even Lord Zhao, who had navigated the officialdom for decades, couldn’t control the twitching of his mouth.
Xu Qi’an didn’t press further, not because he knew when to stop, but because Zhao Shen had earlier attempted to extort five hundred taels. Now, he was using their own tactics against them, and had even asked for an extra hundred taels.
“Well, I’ll forgive them for this matter,” Xu Qi’an carefully collected the banknotes and tucked them into his bosom.
“Then… would Sir Xu please release them?” Lord Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.
“That won’t do,” Xu Qi’an shook his head.
Lord Zhao’s face suddenly darkened.
Xu Qi’an took a sip of tea and smiled, “Debts must be repaid, but interest must also be collected, right? These five hundred taels are the interest, you haven’t paid me the principal yet.”
Lord Zhao stared at him keenly, and after a moment, took a deep breath: “What does Sir Xu want?”
Physician Zhao was a man of real power, in charge of official appointments. This authority was extraordinary, essentially determining the fate of local government officials in the imperial court.
Except for the appointments of the three second-rank officials – the Chief Commander, the Provincial Governor, and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner – which he couldn’t interfere with, all other local official transfers and appointments had to go through the Personnel Appointment Division of the Ministry of Personnel.
The only exception was Xu Qi An, whom he could do nothing about.
The Night Watchmen were inherently an institution set up to monitor officials, so their duties naturally conflicted. Moreover, personnel appointments weren’t under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel. Another reason was that this young man was a tough nut to crack.
With General Wei shielding him from above and the Emperor repeatedly assigning him cases, not just a mere Physician like himself, but even the court ministers, while inwardly despising this lowly Night Watchman, could do nothing about him outwardly.
“It’s not a big deal. Come, sit down, Lord Zhao,” Xu Qi An gestured for him to sit, then raised his teacup in invitation. After Lord Zhao reluctantly took a sip of tea, he asked with a smile:
“I hear the Personnel Appointment Division is in charge of official assignments?”
Physician Zhao nodded.
“In a few days, it will be the Spring Imperial Examination. This official has a younger cousin, a man of great talent and learning. Passing the examination will be a trivial matter for him,” Xu Qi An said.
“If that’s the case, why is Lord Xu telling me this? You can rest assured,” Physician Zhao understood his meaning.
“Well…” Xu Qi An chuckled, “He’s a disciple of the Cloud Deer Academy.”
A disciple of the Cloud Deer Academy?
Physician Zhao frowned deeply.
“Don’t worry, I won’t put Lord Zhao in a difficult position. You just need to keep him in the capital after the Spring Examination, treating him the same as other successful candidates. This official would be extremely grateful,” Xu Qi An persuaded gently:
“Your nephew and his wife will naturally be released then. I won’t mistreat them. As for that bracelet bestowed by His Majesty, consider it forgotten.”
From the moment Li Xiansheng mentioned that the other party’s backer was the Physician of the Personnel Appointment Division, Xu Qi An had this idea in mind.
This was a transaction… Physician Zhao pondered for a long time before slowly nodding: “Alright, I hope Lord Xu will keep his word.”
After seeing Physician Zhao off, Xu Qi An let out a sigh, thinking, “Ah, Second Brother, among all my siblings, you’re still Big Brother’s favorite.”
Next, he headed to the Haogi Tower.
The guard standing at the bottom of the tower saw Xu Qi An and spoke with a resentful, sarcastic tone: “Lord Xu Qian, you’re here again? I heard your elder brother came back from the dead?”
Xu Qi An glanced at him: “Who’s Xu Qian? My name is Xu Xinnian. Stop wasting time and go announce my arrival.”
The guard scurried upstairs, and after a moment, returned, saying: “Duke Wei invites you up.”
…
Seventh floor.
Standing in front of the geomantic map, lost in thought, General Wei heard footsteps approaching. Without turning around, he spoke casually:
“Physician Zhao from the Personnel Appointment Division came to see you?”
It seems coming to Haogi Tower was indeed the right decision… Xu Qi An cupped his hands: “Nothing escapes Your Excellency’s notice.”
General Wei nodded, still not turning around: “What’s the matter?”
Xu Qi An briefly described the situation, saying: “If nothing unexpected happens, my Second Brother will surely be sent to some remote, poor place. My second uncle has only this one son, how could we allow that?”
General Wei asked with a seemingly amused tone, “Why didn’t you ask for my help?”
Silence was the answer, and General Wei didn’t rush him.
After hesitating for a long time, Xu Qi An frankly replied: “I want to leave a path for the Xu family. He shouldn’t stand in the same camp as me.”
After a pause, he added: “This subordinate is deeply indebted to Your Excellency’s kindness and is duty-bound to charge forward.”
Often, it’s circumstances that push you forward, and once you’ve walked that path, you find there’s no turning back.
Of course, Xu Qi An didn’t regret it. He just felt that having an alternative path would be beneficial for the future.
A lone minister never meets a good end!
These words from the Crown Prince had secretly alarmed Xu Qi An.
Smart people don’t put all their eggs in one basket. Xu Qi An hoped that among those who could support the Xu family in the future, Xu Xinnian would be one more option.
Although as a cousin, Xu Xinnian would inevitably bear some of his mark, it was different from General Wei’s mark.
This little scheme couldn’t escape General Wei’s notice, which is why Xu Qi An added that last sentence to express his stance.
General Wei nodded slowly, “It’s human nature. By the way, you’ve successfully advanced to the Spirit Refinement realm, haven’t you? How strong is your primordial spirit?”
“It’s hard to say…” Xu Qi An scratched his head.
“Why don’t we use Li Yuchun as a benchmark? He’s an experienced Spirit Refinement cultivator. Although he’s still some distance from the Bronze Skin Iron Bone level, his combat power is not bad,” General Wei continued to stare at the geomantic map.
Xu Qi An pondered and said: “Then I could take down two of him with one strike.”
General Wei turned around in surprise: “Hm?”
He narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Xu Qi An: “What did you say?”
“Your Excellency, this subordinate hasn’t fought anyone since entering the Spirit Refinement realm, so I’m not sure how my primordial spirit strength compares within this realm,” Xu Qi An humbly said.
“Don’t you know the Buddhist Lion’s Roar?” General Wei thought for a moment, pointing at the observation deck, “Go outside and roar once.”
“Your Excellency, the Lion’s Roar doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe,” Xu Qi An didn’t dare.
An AOE skill doesn’t care about enemies or friends.
“Don’t worry about me,” General Wei waved his hand.
“Yes, sir.” Xu Qi An passed through the tea room and walked towards the observation deck. Facing the warm sunlight, he focused his qi in his dantian.
In his mind, he visualized the image of a roaring golden lion, combined with his unique breathing and qi circulation techniques. After a slight pause of a few seconds… he let out a deep roar towards the entire yamen below.
“Roar!”
This roar didn’t sound like a beast’s howl, nor like a human shout, but more like a thunderclap exploding over the Night Watchmen’s yamen.
Rolling sound waves raged.
The clerks inside Haogi Tower suddenly rolled their eyes back, their ears temporarily deafened, and their vision went black.
Those further away who heard the roar felt an uncontrollable fear rising in their hearts.
Countless streams of qi surged from various parts of the yamen. The Golden Gong bearers in the yamen were all alarmed. Figures rushed out of rooms, gathering in courtyards, leaping onto rooftops, or charging towards Haogi Tower.
At this moment, the entire yamen was in an uproar.
“Your… Your Excellency… it seems we’ve caused quite a commotion,” Xu Qi An said with an embarrassed expression.
General Wei looked at Xu Qi An in realization.
This was a male lion, slowly sharpening his claws, slowly growing his fangs.
He hadn’t fully matured yet, but one day, his roar would shake the Nine Provinces.