After Aunt Zhang left, Xu Qi An led his mare into the courtyard and tied her to the small banyan tree.
It was then that he noticed that in just a few short days, the once desolate courtyard was now filled with a variety of beautiful flowers. Bees and butterflies danced among the blossoms.
The air was laced with the fresh fragrance of flowers.
Xu Qi An scanned the area briefly and recognized many expensive varieties, some of which cost as much as ten or more taels of silver.
He knew the prices of these expensive varieties because his aunt at home spent her days bent over tending to potted plants. After spring, she had invested over two hundred taels of silver in this hobby.
Of course, Xu Qi An never questioned how much silver his aunt spent on expensive flower species, after all, it wasn’t his money. The main issue was that his aunt’s beloved potted plants were often knocked over by Xu Lingyin.
Each time, his aunt would fly into a rage and scold her, then ramble on: “Do you know how much these flowers cost, you little rascal?”
“What’s the story with these flowers?” Xu Qi An asked casually.
“The courtyard was too plain, so I bought some flower seeds to plant,” the princess replied calmly.
The silver I gave you couldn’t have bought these flowers… Xu Qi An thought to himself, but outwardly he just said “Oh” calmly, pretending it was a casual question and that he had no interest in the flowers.
Inwardly, he was thinking that if they were bought as seeds, it could reasonably explain the situation. The scene of seeds growing into a courtyard full of flowers in just a few days – was this the ability of the Flower Goddess? If this woman were thrown into a desert, it would be a blessing for the whole world.
Following this train of thought, he remembered the small piece of lotus root. If he let the princess cultivate it, could she bring it back to life?
Daoist Jin Lian had said that heavenly treasures couldn’t be cultivated individually, but what if the cultivator was the Flower Goddess?
Thinking of this, Xu Qi An became excited but managed to maintain his composure.
Seeing his apparent lack of interest, the princess secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“What was that about with Aunt Zhang earlier?” Xu Qi An asked as he walked into the house.
Following the aroma, he entered the kitchen and lifted the pot lid. Inside were boiling peanuts in salt water, with some spices added.
“She lives nearby. A few days ago, she fell in front of our… my house. She looked pitiful, so I helped her. Since then, she often comes to help me out. The peanuts were also sent by her,” the princess said, sitting on a small wooden stool with a small bowl on her lap.
“Her son is in the medicinal herb business, supposedly owning several shops in both the inner and outer city. Because her daughter-in-law doesn’t like her, her son bought a small courtyard nearby to settle his mother. She tells everyone how filial her son is, buying her a house.”
Xu Qi An leaned against the stove, eating the boiled peanuts and throwing the shells at her feet. He hummed, “So what was that about just now?”
The princess pulled her feet back, glaring at him angrily, and sneered, “I said my husband was dead, and a small ruffian next door coveted my beauty, trying to take advantage of me several times.
“So I sold the house and moved here. Unexpectedly, he found his way here and said he would come to stay every couple of days.”
Xu Qi An scoffed, “Coveting your beauty? Princess, you should look in a mirror before saying that.”
The princess said angrily, “You’re not allowed to eat my peanuts.”
“I’ll eat them anyway.”
“You’re not allowed.”
“I’ll still eat them.”
Xu Qi An spent the entire morning in the princess’s small courtyard, sitting in the yard making bamboo baskets for her, repairing wooden buckets, making small hoes, chopping firewood… He even built a small stove in the courtyard for her to boil water.
While he was working, the princess sat in a bamboo chair watching him, somewhat lost in thought.
When it was about time, she silently got up and went into the kitchen, perfunctorily cooking a few dishes.
“Is it good?” At the dining table, she rested her chin on her hand, blinking her eyes as she watched Xu Qi An.
It’s freaking awful… Xu Qi’an hypocritically said, “Your cooking has improved.”
The princess immediately smiled, her eyes like crescent moons, and hummed, “Then eat it all.”
“What about you?”
“I’m not hungry, I’m full from the peanuts.”
Xu Qi An nodded and buried his head in the food. Before long, he had eaten all the dishes she had cooked clean, just short of licking the plates. The princess stared at him in surprise.
She was well aware of her culinary skills, after all, taste buds don’t lie.
“This is what life is like, simple food is the real thing,” Xu Qi An said, glancing at the proud princess. She seemed somewhat moved, her gaze softening considerably, but she quickly hid it.
Seeing this, he reached into his bosom, lightly tapped the mirror surface, and poured out the small piece of lotus root.
“This time, I went to Sword Prefecture. I didn’t intentionally break my promise not to accompany you,” Xu Qi An apologized sincerely.
“Who wants you to accompany me,” the princess pouted, turning her head away.
“It wasn’t a wasted trip though, I found something interesting,” Xu Qi An placed the lotus root on the table and said, “It was given to me by a senior. It’s said to be a treasure, but it has withered.”
The lotus root was dull in color, with many wrinkles on its surface, and appeared shrunken overall.
“What is this thing?” The princess’s attention was drawn.
“I’m not quite sure, but it’s said to be a treasure,” Xu Qi An sighed:
“This thing is quite important to me, but it seems it can’t be kept alive. However, even if it withers, it’s still a kind of medicine, so at least the trip wasn’t completely wasted.”
Mu Nanchi was very sensitive about her identity, and Xu Qi An didn’t want to let her know that he had seen through her true self, to avoid causing unnecessary panic.
The princess thought for a moment, took the lotus root, wiped it on her sleeve, then revealed her small white teeth and took a bite.
Xu Qi An was caught off guard and couldn’t stop her in time.
The princess chewed a few times, swallowed, and commented quite happily, “It’s quite sweet and fragrant. Hmm, it’s still alive. It’ll be fine after some nurturing.”
“!!!”
Xu Qi An’s heart shook, and immense joy overwhelmed him. He hadn’t expected such a casual attempt would yield such a response.
If this small piece of lotus root could be successfully cultivated, there would be a second nine-colored lotus flower in the world, able to grow on its own and produce lotus pods…
Xu Qi An had witnessed the miraculous nature of the lotus seeds, and from now on, every sixty years, he would be able to obtain twenty-four lotus seeds.
This, this…
Moreover, if the lotus root could grow, the condition for the Martial Arts Alliance Patriarch to break through would be met. If he could use the lotus root to advance to the second grade, he would owe Xu Qi An an enormous favor.
In the future, when confronting the mysterious sorcerer, the Martial Arts Alliance Patriarch would become one of his biggest trump cards.
Xu Qi An’s heart secretly grew hot with excitement, but he struggled to suppress his excited mood and calmly said, “Then you can try. Um, if you can’t keep it alive, remember to return it to me. I have other uses for it.”
If it doesn’t survive, I’ll take it to the Imperial Mentor to complete the task.
The princess nodded.
Wait, why did the Imperial Mentor ask me to request this piece of lotus root? She’s the leader of the Human Sect, she should know that the nine-colored lotus root is difficult to cultivate, so her purpose is likely to refine medicine.
But if it’s for refining medicine, why specifically instruct me to request it? Was it just a casual remark, or was there another purpose?
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but look at the princess.
It shouldn’t be, Luo Yuheng couldn’t possibly know that I’ve secretly kept her… Well, I’m not familiar with the Imperial Mentor and don’t understand her well, so I can’t jump to conclusions.
I originally thought the princess was just a mascot, that being beautiful was enough, but I didn’t expect her to give me such a big surprise. Every fish in my pond is useful… Xu Qi An sincerely marveled.
At this moment, the princess hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat sheepishly, “I… I’ve run out of silver…”
Saying this, she seemed unaccustomed to asking a man for money, as it would make her appear like a concubine kept outside by someone. So she turned her face away and said in a voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz:
“Can… can you give me a little more?”
Didn’t I give you fifteen taels before I left? You’ve almost spent it all in five days? Xu Qi An looked at her but didn’t say anything.
Sensing his silence, the princess suddenly turned her head, glanced at him, then turned away again, saying coldly, “If you won’t give it, forget it.”
She felt somewhat aggrieved.
Xu Qi An poured out five silver ingots from the fragment of the Earth Book, each weighing ten taels, and placed them on the table one by one. Then he broke them apart like flatbread and pinched them into small pieces.
“As a woman, you’d better not use official silver or silver ingots. Loose silver is enough. This way, you’re less likely to attract outsiders’ attention. When I gave you silver ingots last time, I didn’t consider this, and I feel very guilty about it.
“Since I can’t always be with you, I should pay attention to these details. This was my mistake, it won’t happen again.”
His tone was sincere, his expression genuine.
The princess was still looking outside, but her voice was somewhat coquettish as she “mm-hmm” ed, indicating she was no longer angry.
…
For the rest of the day, Xu Qi An took the princess to the bustling market, buying rouge and powder, adding vegetables, rice, oil, and salt, as well as beautiful clothes and dresses. Before dusk, he led away his little mare, which had been neglected for half a day.
As soon as he left, Aunt Zhang arrived.
Looking at the packages and items in the room, Aunt Zhang exclaimed in surprise, “Miss Mu, your man has left? Tsk tsk, buying so many things, it must have cost several dozen taels.”
Aunt Zhang glanced around and noticed they were all items for women’s use. She cried out repeatedly, “Oh my, your man treats you so well!”
The princess felt a little smug, her eyes curving slightly, but in front of others, she never revealed her true nature. She said gracefully and gently:
“My husband is a guard for a wealthy family. He doesn’t come home often, and even when he does, he has to return before dusk. This morning I was angry at him for neglecting me, so I lied to you. Please don’t mind, Aunt Zhang.”
As she spoke, she handed over a package of mutton and a box of rouge.
Aunt Zhang quickly waved her hands, “An old woman like me doesn’t need these things. I’ll just take the mutton.”
The old woman’s smile became much warmer.
She didn’t doubt Mu Nanchi’s words. If it had been a coquettish beauty, Aunt Zhang might have suspected she was a concubine kept here by some rich master.
But although this Miss Mu had a voluptuous figure, her face was truly ordinary. Even the ruffians in the marketplace wouldn’t harbor improper thoughts about a woman of such mediocre appearance.
…
Xu Residence.
Xu Qi An, wearing black tight-fitting clothes, led his little mare home. He had changed out of that brocade robe at the brothel.
He couldn’t be bothered to change back into it.
At the dinner table, Second Uncle Xu drank wine and asked, “Where did you go this time?”
Xu Qi An lowered his head and ate, “Sword Prefecture, helped a friend fight a battle.”
“Did the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect and Lina and the others go too?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Second Uncle Xu seized the opportunity to lecture his nephew, “Don’t always be fighting and killing. There’s always someone stronger out there. Sword Prefecture is the holy land of martial arts in Great Feng, with countless experts.
“Judging by your appearance, it seems your friend didn’t provoke any powerful people, otherwise…”
Xu Xinnian swallowed his rice and said, “Sword Prefecture, isn’t that where the Martial Arts Alliance is?”
“Indeed it is. The Martial Arts Alliance in Sword Prefecture is a powerful force, even the local officials have to bow to them. Moreover, they’re especially united. If you offend one, you’ll provoke a whole group.”
“The leader of the Martial Arts Alliance is called Cao Qingyang, ranked in the top three of the martial arts world, right, Dad?”
“That’s right. Sword Prefecture is a forbidden zone for villains in the jianghu, quite the opposite of Cloud Prefecture. That Cao Qingyang is a powerful figure in the martial arts world.”
Aunt, being a woman of the household, listened with great interest and asked, “Is he more powerful than Ning Yan?”
In Aunt’s heart, her unfortunate nephew was like the world’s top expert. She didn’t say it out loud, but in her heart, she was quite convinced.
Second Uncle pondered for a moment, then shook his head, “Ning Yan is still far behind. Maybe after five more years of practice, he might be able to contend with that Alliance Leader. And they don’t respect the officials’ authority.”
He knew his nephew was in sixth grade.
Hearing this, Aunt quickly said, “It’s good that Ning Yan didn’t provoke them. Why did he go all the way to Sword Prefecture to fight?”
Xu Lingyu defended her elder brother, saying softly, “Father, Elder Brother knows what he’s doing. The Martial Arts Alliance is so formidable, he wouldn’t provoke them.”
Xu Qi An ate silently.
After dinner, Xu Xinnian put down his chopsticks and said, “Elder Brother, come to my study for a moment.”
The two brothers walked side by side out of the front hall and into the study.
Xu Xinnian closed the door, walked straight to the desk, pulled out a thick stack of papers, and said, “From Emperor Yuanjing’s ascension to the throne until the 20th year of Yuanjing, all the daily records for these twenty years are here.”
Xu Qi An glanced at it, closed his eyes briefly, and said helplessly, “This is the cursive script… Wait, in just five short days, you collected twenty years of Emperor Yuanjing’s daily records?”
Second Young Master Xu met his elder brother’s shocked gaze, lifted his chin slightly, looking very proud but trying to remain calm, and said:
“I’ve advanced to the seventh grade. The seventh grade in Confucianism is called ‘Benevolent One’. To enter this grade, one must comprehend benevolence and righteousness. The Benevolent One loves all under heaven and is a moral exemplar. Only the Benevolent One can nurture grand and righteous qi. So the seventh grade Benevolent One is the foundation for the fourth grade Gentleman Realm.
“Of course, I’m still far from the fourth grade, so this isn’t something to be too happy about. For me, it’s just a small step forward.”
Not worth being happy about, yet you’re going on and on about it… Xu Qi An inwardly criticized. After thinking for a moment, he asked:
“Does being a Benevolent One give any combat bonuses?”
Second Young Master Xu’s face suddenly stiffened: “No, it just strengthened my memory and physical constitution.”
Pfft, so you’re still a weakling… Xu Qi An held back his laughter and picked up the daily records to read carefully.
This cursive script is really… cursive. Xu Qi An looked at it for a moment, wanting to curse.
The ancient cursive script was similar to celebrity signatures in his previous life – not meant for others to read. Of course, scholars could understand it because the cursive script has fixed forms.
But Xu Qi An wasn’t a scholar.
“You read it to me.”
“…Alright.”
One brother listened while the other read, and they went through two candles.
During this time, Second Young Master Xu kept drinking tea to moisten his throat and went to the bathroom twice.
The emperor’s daily records documented his words and actions in daily life and during discussions of affairs.
Second Young Master Xu hadn’t recorded everything; he had automatically omitted some meaningless daily conversations.
It wasn’t until late at night that he finished reading everything.
Xu Qi An closed his eyes for the time it takes to burn an incense stick. After fully digesting the content, he opened his eyes and said with some disappointment:
“There’s no value, at least I can’t see any right now.”
Second Young Master Xu asked, “What exactly are you trying to investigate about Emperor Yuanjing?”
“I don’t know. I just feel there’s something wrong with him. Well, not just a feeling, there’s something wrong. After returning from Sword Prefecture, I’m more certain that our Emperor isn’t as simple as he appears on the surface.
“But exactly what’s wrong, I can’t say for sure. I don’t have a clear direction. I can only try to collect as much information about him as possible, to see if I can find any clues.”
Xu Qi An said.
“Emperor Yuanjing’s political maneuvering has reached the pinnacle. How could he be simple?”
Second Young Master Xu criticized, then said, “I don’t know if there’s anything wrong with him, but I do know there’s something wrong with these daily records.”
Xu Qi An was startled, “What’s wrong with the daily records?”