Zhong Li raised her head, tilted it, thought for a few seconds, and said: “Earth veins are like the meridians in a human body. The patterns of mountains and rivers are all influenced by earth veins.”
She paused, then continued: “Earth veins is a general term, divided into twelve types, corresponding to the twelve main meridians in the human body. They are very important in feng shui. Only land with earth veins can be considered a feng shui treasure spot. Building homes and choosing burial sites particularly emphasize earth veins…”
Xu Qi An listened until his scalp tingled. He summarized and replied in the Earth Book chat group: [Earth veins are equivalent to the meridians in the human body, corresponding to the twelve main meridians.]
End of message.
The members of the Heaven and Earth Society waited for a long time but saw no follow-up. They fell silent for a moment – this was essentially saying nothing.
However, Xu Qi An recalled a small matter. When he bought the new residence and took Chu Cai Wei to check the feng shui, there was a female ghost in the well of the Xu mansion. Ghosts cannot exist independently in the mortal world for long.
At that time, Chu Cai Wei went down to check the well and found a yin vein at the bottom.
Yin veins should also be a type of earth vein.
Thinking of this, Xu Qi An asked again: “Senior Sister Zhong, are there earth veins in the Imperial City?”
Zhong Li said in a soft voice: “Of course, there are earth veins in the Imperial City. They’re called dragon veins.”
Before Xu Qi An could ask further, she thoughtfully explained:
“Dragon veins are an extension of fortune. Six hundred years ago, when Great Zhou established its capital here, the earth veins of the capital were nourished by purple qi, empowered by the nation’s fortune, and strengthened by the will of the common people. After a long time, they evolved into dragon veins.”
Dragon veins are a type of earth vein, but dragon veins are also an extension of fortune… Xu Qi An pondered: “What’s the function of dragon veins?”
Zhong Li mused:
“Just as damaging the feng shui of ancestral graves affects descendants, dragon veins have an effect similar to the nation-stabilizing sword, anchoring a country’s fortune. At the end of the Great Zhou dynasty, the great scholar Qian Zhong from Cloud Deer Academy brought the people’s resentment into the Great Zhou capital. At the cost of his life, he scattered the last of Great Zhou’s national fortune. What he struck was the dragon vein.
“Among us geomancers, there’s a saying: ‘He who gains the dragon vein gains the world.'”
I don’t understand, but it sounds impressive… Xu Qi An wrote: [There are dragon veins in the Imperial City.]
Then he asked Zhong Li again: “Can you control the dragon veins?”
Zhong Li was confused for a while, then said weakly: “Dragon veins anchor a nation’s fortune. Even the Observatory Master wouldn’t dare to touch them carelessly.”
Xu Qi An then relayed the characteristics of dragon veins to the members of the Heaven and Earth Society.
Chu Yuan Zhen analyzed: [If even the Observatory Master doesn’t dare to touch the dragon veins carelessly, then the Marquis of Huai’s spies are even less likely to use earth traversing magic through the dragon veins. Was my idea wrong?]
The speculation reached an impasse, and even Xu Qi An was temporarily at a loss.
At this moment, Number One suddenly said: [I’ll investigate Heng Yuan’s matter. Leave it to me. None of you need to worry about it.]
Huh, Number One is being so proactive? This doesn’t fit his (her) personality… Xu Qi An was surprised.
Among the Earth Book fragment holders, Number One was the most low-key and had the most mysterious identity. There were reasons why Numbers Seven and Eight couldn’t speak up, but Number One rarely emerged, occasionally participating in discussions but stopping short.
He never met with other Earth Book fragment holders offline.
Not just him, but all members of the Heaven and Earth Society were surprised. Such proactive initiative didn’t fit Number One’s usual style.
[One: In the Heaven and Earth Society, besides me, no one can freely enter and exit the Imperial City. I can even find a way to enter the palace. Whether it’s Heng Yuan or the secret passage, I have more advantages than you and it’s safer for me.
[Of course, if I need help, I’ll ask for your assistance. I hope you won’t refuse.]
This reason was reasonable and easily convinced everyone, making Xu Qi An and others sincerely relieved.
Indeed, the current Imperial City and palace were forbidden zones for them. Even if Xu Qi An could sneak into the Imperial City, he could only stay by Huai Qing and Lin An’s side, lacking conditions for independent action.
This is a good opportunity to probe Number One’s abilities and identity… Chu Yuan Zhen thought.
Number One can freely enter and exit the Imperial City, and even find opportunities to enter the palace. This indicates a very high status. One of the ministers? A royal family member or noble? Li Miao Zhen pondered secretly.
Phew, someone’s finally taking over Master Heng Yuan’s matter. I can relax now. Time to sleep… Li Na thought happily.
…
Over the next two days, the court and the demon barbarian delegation negotiated several times without results. The two sides hadn’t reached an agreement yet.
Xu Qi An stayed away from politics and didn’t care about this matter. These two days, he hid in the widow’s small courtyard for peace and quiet. The reason was that after the literary gathering incident, various scholars kept sending invitation cards to the Xu mansion.
Some wanted to visit him, some wanted to invite him for drinks, and some wanted to marry off their daughters or sisters to him, even including birth dates and times.
During the Buddhist confrontation, Xu Qi An’s fame spread far and wide, but scholars still held some prejudice against him and didn’t fully consider him “one of their own.”
After the Chu Prefecture massacre case, when Zhao Shou publicly announced in court that Xu Qi An was his disciple, Xu Qi An officially became “one of their own” in the eyes of scholars. However, Emperor Yuan Jing was in a bad mood at that time, so no one dared to get close to Xu Qi An.
After the literary gathering incident, Xu Qi An became a hot commodity.
These were all minor issues. What made him unable to stay at home were the great scholars from Cloud Deer Academy.
The day before yesterday, the wind was quite noisy, and Xu Qi An’s eyelids kept twitching.
Academy Head Zhao Shou came, wearing a starched white Confucian robe, his hair disheveled, dressed like a cynic.
Xu Qi An respectfully led his nominal teacher into the hall, served good tea, and after some casual chat, Zhao Shou asked: “I didn’t know Ning Yan was proficient in military strategy. Are there any other handwritten copies of that military treatise?”
Zhao Shou had come to see the book and incidentally wanted to include the military treatise in the academy’s library.
No handwritten copies, but recently I’ve been unable to resist the urge to… Xu Qi An, who hadn’t been intimate with a woman for four months, regretfully declined Zhao Shou’s request.
Just at this moment, the great scholars Zhang Shen, Li Mu Bai, and Chen Tai came to visit together.
Seeing Academy Head Zhao Shou, the three great scholars looked disdainful.
Zhang Shen: “Poetry thief!”
Chen Tai: “Disciple thief!”
Li Mu Bai: “Shameless old thief!”
The three spoke in unison: “Ptui!”
The Academy Head Zhao Shou flew into a rage, his words becoming reality. He waved his sleeve: “Retreat a hundred li!”
The three great scholars waved their sleeves: “We won’t retreat!”
“Retreat a hundred li.”
“We won’t retreat.”
“Retreat a hundred li.”
“We won’t retreat.”
In this unique magical confrontation, Xu Qi An slipped out of the Xu mansion. Before leaving, he looked back and saw the potted plant his aunt had placed in the hall smashed on the ground.
He saw Xu Ling Yin join the battle, standing to the side: “Retreat retreat retreat…”
Li Miao Zhen desperately rescued this foolish girl, otherwise, she would have been sent a hundred li away.
The princess consort was living a particularly comfortable life, not physically comfortable, but mentally comfortable.
Free and unrestrained, lacking nothing in clothing, food, shelter, or transportation. Xu Qi An often accompanied her to browse shops, eat snacks, watch operas, and so on.
The nine-colored lotus root was growing extremely well, already sprouting and having grown another section. Xu Qi An hoped it would grow bigger than Gold Lotus Daoist’s.
This evening, after disguising himself at the brothel, Xu Qi An rode his beloved mare back to the Xu mansion.
During dinner, Aunt said: “I’ve had Ling Yue invite Miss Wang to visit our mansion the day after tomorrow. The men in the family should avoid being present. Also, we must show proper etiquette.
“I’m talking to you, Xu Ling Yin. You have the worst manners.”
Xu Ling Yin, who was eating in a very unrefined manner, raised her head and asked in confusion: “But when Master and Sister Miao Zhen visit our mansion, I behave the same way. Why doesn’t Mother say I have no manners then?”
“How can that be the same? This is your second brother’s future wife,” Aunt said.
“What’s a wife?” Xu Ling Yin asked.
The second Uncle then said: “Your mother is your father’s wife. Do you understand now?”
Xu Ling Yin exclaimed in shock: “She’s going to be my mother?”
Everyone lowered their heads to eat, giving up on explaining the term “wife” to the little one. Indeed, it was complex to explain. Although “wife” is a noun, when a man takes a wife, he hopes to turn it into a verb.
The meaning was too profound for a six-year-old to understand.
“Anyway, just be good and don’t cause trouble. In the future, Mother will take you to Fu Man Lou to eat monkey brains,” Aunt said.
Monkey brain was Fu Man Lou’s signature dish.
“I want to eat monkey breasts,” Xu Ling Yin’s attention was indeed diverted.
“Brains.”
“Breasts.”
“…”
Aunt stopped talking with a stern face.
“Ahem!” Xu Er Lang coughed, breaking the awkward atmosphere. He looked at Xu Qi An: “Big brother, I’ve memorized another part recently. Come to my study after dinner.”
Xu Qi An’s heart leaped with joy, and he nodded slowly: “Alright.”
He hoped there would be some clues in the late emperor’s daily records. Otherwise, he really didn’t know how to investigate further and might have to give up…
After dinner, the brothers entered the study, lit candles, and sat at the desk. Xu Er Lang recited while Xu Qi An listened.
The late emperor was an unremarkable ruler who ascended to heaven without achievements or faults. His personality was rather mild, somewhat indulging in women and neglecting state affairs. It was precisely because of this that he allowed two consecutive prime ministers to hold great power.
Thinking about it now, Emperor Yuan Jing’s mastery of power tactics and skill at balancing forces was likely learned from the lessons of the late emperor.
The tedious listening continued, time ticking by second by second. Suddenly, a conversation made the drowsy Xu Qi An perk up.
Late Emperor: The Daoist Master’s cultivation is profound, truly a divine immortal. Can you perform the art of transforming one qi into three pure ones?
Head of the Human Sect: Regarding the art of transforming one qi into three pure ones, among the three sects, the Earth Sect is the most skilled.
Late Emperor: I’ve heard the Earth Sect cultivates merit, walks among the mortal world, elusive as a dragon showing its head but not its tail. I wonder if the Daoist Master could introduce me.
Head of the Human Sect: Certainly!
“The late emperor was very curious about the art of transforming one qi into three pure ones… Hmm, the head of the Earth Sect during the late emperor’s time should be that Earth Sect head who fell into demonic cultivation…”
As Xu Qi An pondered, his body suddenly trembled, his expression freezing.
In the Chu Prefecture massacre case, the Earth Sect head’s avatar was involved. Emperor Yuan Jing and the Earth Sect head were in collusion. He had always wondered how Yuan Jing had connected with the Earth Sect head.
It turns out the Earth Sect head had visited the capital before… He must have had contact with the late emperor and Yuan Jing when he was still a prince…
Indeed, examining the daily records of the late emperor’s era was correct. These details were flawless, even trivial. But it was precisely these insignificant traces that linked together a chain of cause and effect.
Xu Qi An became alert, listening carefully. To his disappointment, there was no information about the late emperor meeting the Earth Sect head in the records.
Either it was erased, or it didn’t happen in the palace, so the court diarist wasn’t by the emperor’s side.
As the candles gradually burned out, Xu Er Lang exhaled: “I haven’t had time to look at the rest yet.”
Xu Qi An immediately left the study and returned to his room.
…
Early morning.
Wang Si Mu sat at her dressing table. With the help of her maid, she styled her hair in the most popular fashion of the time, drew her eyebrows, applied lip rouge, dusted her face lightly with pearl powder, and added a touch of blush.
It had a subtle touch of makeup, delicate without appearing garish.
She put on a lotus-colored palace dress, exuding elegance and propriety. The expensive fabric and intricate design added a touch of nobility.
This attire was the result of careful consideration.
It was well known that the Xu family matriarch was a woman of unfathomable thoughts and extremely sophisticated methods. She would be her number-one enemy in the future.
Therefore, if she were to flaunt her status as the prime minister’s legitimate daughter, making a grand entrance, it would be easy for the other party to seize on her flaws, retreat to advance, and accuse Wang Si Mu of lacking proper upbringing.
Thus, she had to be low-key and restrained, taking the middle path.
“I’m looking forward to it…”
As the legitimate daughter of the Wang family, she had seen her mother and favored concubines openly and secretly contending since childhood. She had also seen those presumptuous illegitimate daughters trying to compete with her, attempting to steal her position as the legitimate daughter.
But by the time she reached her teenage years, all these unsavory characters had become like smoke from the past.
Miss Wang’s status in the Wang mansion was like that of独孤求败 (Dugu Qiubai, an undefeated martial arts master), sitting at the mountain peak, just short of playing the zither in loneliness.
With no rivals at home, she “played” with the young ladies outside. She had subdued daughters of nobles and suppressed royal princesses. Among the wives and daughters of high officials in the capital, the only person who could make Miss Wang feel inferior and genuinely wary was the eldest princess, Huai Qing.
But later, she discovered that the small Xu mansion concealed a woman not to be underestimated, and this woman might be her future mother-in-law.
The day before yesterday, when she received the invitation from the Xu family’s eldest daughter, Wang Si Mu knew that the Xu family matriarch had decided to formally meet her.
This was both good and bad.
The good was that the Xu family matriarch had finally acknowledged her, considering her a satisfactory daughter-in-law.
The bad was that this invitation was likely fraught with danger, every step perilous. If she couldn’t handle it well and fell at a disadvantage, she might be suppressed in the future.
But that’s precisely what made it interesting.
Miss Wang was a combative woman. Her mind full of wisdom had no outlet for expression. If her future mother-in-law were a person of mediocre ability, it would be too dull.
The Xu family’s eldest daughter is seemingly fragile but deeply scheming.
The brilliantly talented, silver-tongued Xu Er Lang.
And the eldest Xu, who made the entire court of nobles and ministers wary, and even made His Majesty gnash his teeth in hatred.
To have raised such descendants, the Xu family matriarch must be an opponent who made one tremble just thinking about her.
“But that’s precisely why it’s worth looking forward to.”
Wang Si Mu, accompanied by her maids and guards, proudly entered her carriage, like a female general leading thousands of troops into battle.
…
Xu Qi An sat in the hall, eating braised pork knuckles. Li Na and Xu Ling Yin came to sneak some food.
Aunt was directing the servants to sweep the courtyard and clear away cobwebs…
“Clean everything thoroughly. She’s the daughter of the Prime Minister, of noble status. We can’t lose face or let her look down on us. Xu Ning Yan, Xu Ling Yin!!”
Aunt turned her head and saw her nephew leading her daughter in stealing the dishes she had bought from the restaurant. She immediately flew into a rage:
“Are you two trying to anger me to death? You, Xu Ning Yan, you’re always so carefree. To this day, you haven’t found a girl you like. Are you jealous that Er Lang is ahead of you?”
Aunt, you’ve misunderstood. One day I’ll take you boating in my fish pond, full of fierce sharks and crocodiles…
Aunt chased her nephew and daughter out of the main hall and continued bustling about with the others.
To leave a good impression on the Wang family’s daughter and to establish a peaceful relationship, Aunt was going to great lengths.