“What were you doing in the Archives Bureau of the Ministry of Personnel?” Grand Tutor Wang asked, his brow slightly furrowed.

“Looking into someone,” Xu Qi An replied. He blew on his tea to cool it, then took a sip before continuing leisurely, “Don’t worry, I won’t cause any trouble. Grand Tutor need not be concerned.”

Grand Tutor Wang nodded. What trouble could one cause in the Archives Bureau? The worst-case scenario would be burning documents, but that wouldn’t benefit Xu Qi An.

He was merely curious about Xu Qi An’s intentions.

“I’m investigating a case,” Xu Qi An said.

Investigating a case? He no longer held an official position, so what case could he be looking into… Curiosity and surprise flashed in Grand Tutor Wang’s eyes. After pondering for a moment, he said calmly, “Would you mind telling this old man about it?”

“Of course. This matter is related to you, Grand Tutor,” Xu Qi An smiled.

Grand Tutor Wang was taken aback. His previously relaxed posture subtly straightened, and his expression became more serious as if entering a state of the official discussion.

Then, he saw a sealed letter slide out from Xu Qi An’s sleeve. With a gentle toss, the letter floated down in front of him.

With a puzzled mind, Grand Tutor Wang unfolded the letter and began to read. At first, he was startled, then his brows furrowed deeply as if trying to recall something. In the end, only confusion remained on his face.

Grand Tutor Wang placed the letter on the table and looked at Xu Qi An. “This old man… doesn’t remember…”

As expected! Xu Qi An pondered, then asked, “Does Grand Tutor have any impression of the Su Hang mentioned in the letter?”

“This old man has no recollection of this person either.”

Grand Tutor Wang shook his head. After a few seconds of furrowed brows, he looked at Xu Qi An, his tone grave: “Young Master Xu, what case are you investigating? Is the content of this sealed letter factual?”

He had no memory of such collaboration with Duke Cao in the past and remained skeptical about the letter’s contents.

Xu Qi’an thought for a moment, weighing his options internally. He decided to reveal some confidential information and nodded, saying:

“The contents of the letter are accurate. As for why the Grand Tutor has forgotten, it’s because this matter involves a sorcerer who has obscured the heavenly secrets. That’s why the relevant personnel have lost their memories.”

Involving sorcerers, erasing heavenly secrets… Grand Tutor Wang’s expression changed slightly. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he leaned forward slightly:

“Could Young Master Xu explain more clearly?”

Immediately, Xu Qi An recounted the old case of Su Hang, only mentioning that he had promised a friend to investigate the truth behind her father’s beheading. He had inadvertently discovered Duke Cao’s sealed letter, and from the erased text and past experiences, he deduced that this case had far-reaching implications, necessitating the intervention of a high-ranking sorcerer to obscure the heavenly secrets.

After listening, Grand Tutor Wang leaned back in his chair, silent for a long while.

“In the Imperial Observatory, only the Observatory Master can obscure heavenly secrets,” Grand Tutor Wang rubbed his brow, seeming to ask both Xu Qi An and himself, “What was the Observatory Master’s purpose in doing this?”

How would I know? That’s what I’m investigating… Xu Qi An shook his head.

“I’ll give you a letter of authorization. With it, you can freely enter and exit the Ministry of Personnel. If you need any help in the future, just say the word,” Grand Tutor Wang gazed at Xu Qi An intently, then added:

“However, this old man has one condition. If Young Master Xu can uncover the truth, I hope you’ll inform me. Hmm, I’ll also look into this matter discreetly.”

A major event had occurred in the imperial court back then, yet it had been obscured from heavenly sight, and he, as a party involved, had no recollection of it.

Any matter that required the Observatory Master to obscure heavenly secrets must be of great significance.

Xu Qi An nodded, politely expressing his gratitude.

…

After seeing Xu Qi An off, Grand Tutor Wang called for his steward, his tone calm: “Is the Second Young Master of the Xu family still in the mansion?”

Yesterday, he had mentioned to Wang Simu that he wanted to invite the Second Young Master Xu to stay for dinner.

“Yes, he is. This old servant will call him over right away.”

The steward immediately understood his master’s intention and bowed as he retreated.

Soon after, Xu Xinnian, dressed in a white robe with rosy lips and white teeth, stepped over the threshold. He bowed respectfully, neither servile nor arrogant: “Grand Tutor.”

Grand Tutor Wang was writing on a piece of Xuan paper and didn’t look up as he asked, “What are the Second Young Master’s aspirations?”

He addressed him as ‘Second Young Master’ naturally, without any hint of awkwardness.

“Hmm?”

Not receiving a response, Grand Tutor Wang looked up to find Xu Xinnian staring intently at him, staring at him…

Grand Tutor Wang’s mouth twitched: “That’s a good aspiration.”

He put down his brush and looked at the characters on the paper, smiling as he said, “If it weren’t for your elder brother’s righteous intervention, this old man might have been forced to retire. In officialdom, the most important thing is to understand when to advance and when to retreat.

“No matter how skilled you are in political maneuvering or how many allies you have, the one sitting on the dragon throne can decide your life or death with a single word. The former Grand Tutor can enjoy his twilight years in peace only because he learned from the lessons of his predecessors.”

The former Grand Tutor? That corrupt official who only knew how to embezzle silver and flatter His Majesty… Xu Xinnian thought to himself.

Grand Tutor Wang continued, “Two hundred years ago, during the struggle for the throne, the Yunlu Academy withdrew from the imperial court. Saint Cheng erected a monument at the academy with the inscription ‘Die with honor to repay the Emperor’s grace,’ all to convey the same message to future generations.

“The emperor is the emperor, and the subject is the subject. Only by grasping this balance can you rise steadily in the imperial court.”

Xu Xinnian frowned and asked, “What if I’m unwilling?”

Grand Tutor Wang laughed heartily, “If you’re unwilling, then why become an official at all?”

Xu Xinnian bowed and said, “Student understands.”

Well-versed in history, he easily grasped Grand Tutor Wang’s meaning. Throughout dynasties, there had been countless powerful ministers. But if the emperor decided to move against them, even those with the greatest power would be fortunate to merely retire from office.

Grand Tutor Wang suddenly sighed, “Your elder brother’s character and integrity are admirable, but he’s not suited for the imperial court. Don’t learn from him.”

My elder brother has been frequently seeking my advice lately. Why would I need to learn from him? Xu Xinnian lifted his chin slightly with pride and said, “Student understands.”

Grand Tutor Wang nodded, “Stay for dinner tonight.”

…

Ministry of Personnel, Archives Bureau.

Xu Qi An, disguised as Xu Xinnian, with the help of a clerk, retrieved the list of new Jinshi scholars from the 10th year of the Yuanjing era.

Surprisingly, the Zhuangyuan (top scholar) of that year was none other than the current Grand Tutor, Wang Zhenwen.

The Bangyan (second place) was named Lu An.

The space for Tanhua (third place) was blank, with no name listed.

I’ve found him… Xu Qi An stared at the blank space, silent for a long while.

“That Court Attendant whose name was erased was the Tanhua of the 10th year of Yuanjing, a first-rank scholar. Who exactly was he, and why were the heavenly secrets obscured? Is this person alive or dead now? Since he entered the court as an official, he couldn’t have been the first Observatory Master.

“It must have been the current Observatory Master who did this, but why? What connection does this nameless Court Attendant have with Su Hang? Su Hang’s name wasn’t erased, which means he wasn’t that Court Attendant, but they must be closely related.”

Based on the clues at hand, he made a simple assumption:

There was a faction in the imperial court back then, with Su Hang as one of its core members, and the nameless Court Attendant was likely the leader of this faction.

This faction was powerful and faced attacks from various other parties, ultimately meeting a tragic end. Su Hang’s fate was proof of this.

But what Xu Qi An couldn’t understand was, if it was just an ordinary political struggle, why did the Observatory Master need to erase the Court Attendant’s name? Why obscure the heavenly secrets?

There must be an even deeper secret hidden within.

“My intuition tells me that this old case is very important. Well, that’s stating the obvious, of course, its importance, otherwise, why would the Observatory Master intervene to obscure it? Sigh, I hate investigating old cases the most. No, I hate sorcerers the most. Zhong Li and Cai Wei, those two little darlings, don’t count.”

Xu Qi An left the Ministry of Personnel, riding his beloved mare, clip-clopping down the street.

The mare was very understanding, maintaining a steady pace that allowed Xu Qi An to think while riding, without needing to focus on steering.

“When I was investigating the Sangbo case, it also involved the first Observatory Master. There were no records in historical documents. In the end, it was the clever Princess Huai Qing who, through the decline of Buddhist temples five hundred years ago, narrowed down the clues to the Qinglong Temple, making me realize that Shen Shu was related to Buddhism and the flourishing of Buddhism in the Central Plains five hundred years ago.”

“Princess Huai Qing’s method can also be applied to this Court Attendant. I can investigate some major events from that year and search for clues within them.”

Having settled on this approach, he continued to ponder about Emperor Yuanjing.

His previous interest in investigating Emperor Yuanjing was merely based on his old detective’s instinct. He believed that the soul pill alone wasn’t enough to make Emperor Yuanjing take such a great risk by allying with the Northern Warlord to massacre a city.

After all, the soul pill wasn’t some miracle cure-all. It certainly didn’t warrant the slaughter of an entire city.

After his journey to Jian Province, he became even more convinced that there was something amiss with Emperor Yuanjing. Those who possessed the Mandate of Heaven couldn’t achieve immortality, so what was the old emperor still struggling for?

As the ruler of a nation, he couldn’t possibly be unaware of this secret. The founding emperor and Emperor Wuzong were prime examples.

“Now I can only search for clues in the imperial diaries, and it has to be the previous emperor’s diaries. If Emperor Yuanjing truly had a secret, he would have certainly disposed of any evidence.

“But he couldn’t have erased all traces. Perhaps there’s some crucial yet inconspicuous clue hidden in the previous emperor’s records, something that others couldn’t discover but would be clear to someone with certain inside information.

“If there are no clues in the previous emperor’s records, I’ll have to turn to Aunt. She’s been teaching Emperor Yuanjing about cultivation for so many years; surely she must have noticed something amiss.

“After that, there’s the matter of the first Observatory Master. I need to locate this place called Xu Province first. Well, Minister Wei and Second Brother will help with the search. Oh right, when I meet with Biaobiao tomorrow, I’ll ask her to pass a message to Princess Huai Qing, requesting her help in investigating Xu Province as well.

“I need to make good use of these scholars to work for me. Oh, and I can’t neglect my progress in comprehending ‘Intent’, although I still haven’t got any leads. I’ll give myself a day off tomorrow, visit the pleasure quarters, and listen to some music. I kind of miss Fu Xiang…”

There’s so much to do… Xu Qi An thought as he rhythmically rose and fell on his mare’s back.

…

Upon returning to the Xu residence, he saw Su Su sitting on the roof ridge in the distance, holding a red umbrella. She looked like a beautiful and alluring mountain spirit, enticing travelers on the mountain road.

No, she was a spirit.

They’re back… Xu Qi An leaped onto the roof and sat beside the female ghost.

“What do you want?” Su Su gave him an annoyed glare.

Xu Qi An poked her chest, and with a “pop”, it burst.

He felt a bit disappointed. “Shouldn’t you go to the Imperial Observatory and ask Master Song for a physical body?”

“Bah, you lecher!”

Su Su looked down at her chest, spat at him, and snorted:

“I’m not going to ask for a physical body. My mistress said that if I got a body now, you’d drag me into a room and sleep with me. I think she has a point, so I’ll only ask for a body after you uncover the truth about my father’s case.”

“Your mistress is purely slandering me.”

“Really?” Su Su looked at him suspiciously.

“Really. I could sleep with you right here. Who says it has to be in a room?”

“Go away!” Su Su spat at him again.

Xu Qi An jumped down from the roof and crossed the courtyard. Outside the kitchen, he saw the cook slaughtering a goose. Xu Ling Yin, with her hair in two bun-like knots, was crouching nearby, watching eagerly.

Her master, the little dark-skinned girl from the Southern Frontier, was also crouching beside her, watching.

One big, one small, creating a stark contrast.

“Ling Yin, big brother is back,” Xu Qi An called out.

The little dumpling ignored him, focusing intently on watching the goose being killed and plucked…

Is she imagining which part to eat first? This stupid child, only thinking about food… Xu Qi An inwardly complained as he entered the inner hall.

Li Miao Zhen and Aunt were sitting in the hall, talking. A few pieces of translucent pastries remained on the table.

Seeing her nephew return, Aunt tilted her delicate chin, indicating, “The pastries on the table were left for you by Ling Yin. She was afraid she’d eat them if she stayed here looking at them, so she ran outside.”

Xu Qi An suddenly turned his head to look outside, smiling.

“Where’s Second Brother? It’s his day off, and you two went out together. Why hasn’t he returned?” Aunt asked, peering outside.

“Grand Tutor Wang is hosting a dinner for him. I don’t think he’ll be back today,” Xu Qi An said with a smile.

After dusk, the gates of the Imperial City would close, so Xu Xinnian couldn’t possibly return today.

“Grand Tutor is hosting a dinner for him…” Aunt was greatly surprised.

Although the elder brother had recently mercilessly exposed the “private affairs” between the second brother and the Wang family’s young lady, Aunt hadn’t expected things to progress so quickly.

She was even more surprised that Grand Tutor Wang would host a dinner for the second brother.

“This match is so unequal… Oh my, really…” Aunt was somewhat irritated and helpless. “Marrying the daughter of the Grand Tutor, isn’t that like bringing home a bodhisattva?”

“Aunt, you’re the mistress of the household. Once the bride enters our family, it’s up to you to teach her,” Xu Qi An said, fanning the flames.

Given Wang Simu’s temperament and skills, if she enters the family, she might make her Aunt cry every day from bullying. That would be interesting… Xu Qi An looked forward to their future family life.

Aunt puffed out her chest, looking proud and confident, “Of course. Even if she’s the Grand Tutor’s daughter, once she enters the Xu family, she’ll have to obey me.”

Li Miao Zhen glanced at her but said nothing.

…

At dusk, in the Courtesans’ Quarter.

Violent coughing could be heard from the main bedroom of the Yingmei Pavilion.

A maid sat under the eaves, tending a small brazier, listening to her mistress’s coughs coming from inside.

Courtesan Fu Xiang had been ill for a while. More than half a month ago, the Yingmei Pavilion had stopped hosting tea parties. Since then, the courtesan had been bedridden, growing increasingly frail.

Madam had invited many famous doctors to treat Courtesan Fu Xiang, but her condition didn’t improve. Gradually, Madam stopped calling for doctors.

From initially calling her “daughter” affectionately, to later becoming cold and indifferent, and finally not visiting at all, Madam even reassigned the pretty maids and guards from the courtyard.

There was no need for them to attend to a dying invalid anymore.

“Mistress was so glamorous before, the top courtesan of the Courtesans’ Quarter, the number one flower, and Officer Xu’s lover. Now she’s fallen on hard times, and no one comes to see her. Officer Xu hasn’t been heard from either, he hasn’t come to the Courtesans’ Quarter for a long, long time.”

“Hmph, it must be some vixen who’s cursed my mistress with a paper effigy,” the maid thought angrily as she sat by the brazier, wiping her tears.