Emperor Yuanjing choked for a moment, not expecting Xu Qi’an to respond in such a manner.
Crying out “This humble servant begs to retire” when faced with difficulties was the style of seasoned officials. Who would have thought this young constable would be more direct and simply ask for death?
Emperor Yuanjing’s face darkened instantly. Those in power enjoy using harsh words to display their authority, from emperors down to county magistrates. They all like to say, “Do as I command, or else face the consequences.”
This was not unusual, given the clear distinction between superiors and subordinates. Subjects and servants could only accept it and obey.
Unexpectedly, this constable had dared to retort, leaving Emperor Yuanjing feeling quite uncomfortable.
Especially when looking at the greatly changed Constable Xu, Emperor Yuanjing felt even more displeased. At the same time, he marveled at how the Rebirth Pill truly lived up to its reputation as a rare and miraculous medicine seen only once in a century.
The Supervising Censor had only managed to refine three pills in sixty years.
Emperor Yuanjing spoke sternly, “Xu Qi’an, do you think I won’t kill you?”
Having reigned for thirty-six years, Emperor Yuanjing’s imperial authority was at its peak. The air in the Imperial Study seemed to drop a few degrees. The eunuchs immediately lowered their heads, not daring to look upon the emperor’s face.
Only Wei Yuan could remain calm in the emperor’s presence.
Xu Qi’an, of course, would not continue to provoke him. Though not panicked inside, he changed his demeanor from the previous bold stance to one of subservience, saying:
“Your Majesty, please forgive this lowly official. In Yun Province, I protected the Imperial Inspector and fought fiercely against the rebels, slaying two hundred enemies.”
“This humble servant worked tirelessly in Yun Province, solving the case of Administrative Commissioner Song Changfu’s collusion with the Witch Cult, and clearing the name of Commanding Officer Yang Chuannan.”
“All of these accomplishments are hardly worth mentioning, and this servant would never dare to claim credit for them. As for the Sangbo case and the Princess Pingyang case, this servant has long forgotten them and would never bring them up again.”
“It’s just that this servant’s vital energy has been greatly depleted, and my spirit is exhausted. Since waking up, I often suffer from headaches and truly lack the strength to share Your Majesty’s burdens.”
Emperor Yuanjing stared at him, momentarily unable to utter any harsh words.
This young constable deliberately brought up a slew of cases to highlight his own merits, first solidifying his position as a meritorious official, then using his poor health as an excuse to shirk responsibilities. He had already grasped the techniques of courtly speech.
Wei Yuan immediately said, “Your Majesty, Xu Qi’an is but a mere constable. Even if his abilities are extraordinary, with his severely depleted energy and spirit, his life may not be worth much concern. However, if the case is delayed and Consort Fu’s unjust treatment cannot be cleared, that would be a grave matter.”
After a pause, he looked at Xu Qi’an and said, “You may go back and rest. His Majesty will not send a starving soldier into battle.”
The emperor doesn’t deploy hungry troops…
Emperor Yuanjing glanced at Wei Yuan, pondered briefly, and said, “Xu Qi’an, the Imperial Observatory has as many spirit-nourishing prescriptions as you need. The Lingbao Temple likewise doesn’t lack miraculous pills. Since your body is unwell, I can reward you with a few pills.”
“I remember your merits in Yun Province and intend to grant you the title of viscount. The imperial grace is vast; do not disappoint it.”
In the end, Xu Qi’an was just a minor figure, not worth Emperor Yuanjing’s deliberate harassment. When the cabinet proposed revoking his noble title, Emperor Yuanjing had simply gone along with it.
But now that he needed Xu Qi’an’s services, Emperor Yuanjing didn’t mind offering some benefits. Still, he felt quite displeased, knowing he had been outmaneuvered.
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s great kindness. Your Majesty is wise and mighty, an emperor unparalleled in a thousand years,” Xu Qi’an said loudly.
Emperor Yuanjing nodded slightly, “I want to obtain the truth of the case as soon as possible.”
“This humble servant will serve with utmost loyalty until death,” Xu Qi’an replied.
Seeing the young constable so amenable, Emperor Yuanjing felt somewhat better and said lightly, “You may withdraw.”
…
Walking side by side with Wei Yuan as they left the Imperial Study and crossed the spacious square, Wei Yuan squinted his eyes, gazing ahead with a faint smile. “Did you learn?”
“I did,” Xu Qi’an replied.
He truly had learned, unlike in his school days when the teacher would stand at the podium, tap the blackboard, and ask, “Have you all learned?” To which he would loudly lie with his eyes wide open: “Yes!”
The lesson Wei Yuan wanted to teach him was simple: the emperor is human too, with weaknesses and bound by rules. He cannot act arbitrarily or recklessly.
At the same time, the emperor is not omnipotent. He has needs, and as long as you possess something he “needs,” there is considerable room for maneuvering.
For instance, in this case, with the Three Judicial Offices shirking responsibility and delaying the investigation, what could Emperor Yuanjing do? At most, he could punish them, but he couldn’t possibly dismiss them from office or execute them.
Against this backdrop, Xu Qi’an, who had solved several major cases and offended many officials, was the perfect choice for investigating.
Since the emperor wanted to use him, it was necessary to reasonably negotiate benefits for oneself.
Once he became a viscount, Xu Qi’an could make a symbolic effort but fail to solve the case due to “lack of ability,” which would be reasonable.
After all, he wasn’t a celestial being.
Emperor Yuanjing’s anger would be predictable at that point, but by then, Xu Qi’an, as a viscount, would at most face some punishments like flogging, salary reduction, or even demotion.
But a noble title couldn’t be revoked so easily. Titles were a means for the court to win people’s hearts and were only bestowed upon those with great meritorious service.
Correspondingly, the conditions for revoking a title were also very strict. It wasn’t something the emperor could do on a whim. Otherwise, titles would become too cheap and lose their ability to command respect.
As for whether Emperor Yuanjing would renege on his promise, neither Xu Qi’an nor Wei Yuan had considered it. A ruler of a nation wouldn’t stoop to such despicable behavior. Even if Emperor Yuanjing wanted to back out, Xu Qi’an could still drag out the case investigation.
For every strategy from above, there’s a countermeasure from below.
“Lord Xu, please wait,” came a shrill voice from behind.
Xu Qi’an and Wei Yuan stopped and looked back to see the emperor’s elderly eunuch running towards them, holding a golden token in his hand.
“This is the golden token bestowed by His Majesty. Lord Xu can enter the palace to investigate the case at any time, but must be accompanied by a palace attendant,” the old eunuch presented the token.
Xu Qi’an took it and weighed it in his hand. It felt quite substantial.
This golden token was different from the ones he had received before. The front of the token had an additional character “內” (inner), indicating it allowed movement within the imperial palace—a higher-level token.
“Thank you for your trouble, sir,” Xu Qi’an cupped his hands in gratitude.
The old eunuch nodded without saying much and turned to leave.
“Sir, please wait a moment,” Xu Qi’an called out to him again.
The old eunuch turned back to look.
“His Majesty’s grace is boundless. This official wishes to begin the investigation today. Please assign an attendant to me,” Xu Qi’an said.
An attendant was the lowest-ranking eunuch… Using the term “eunuch” here isn’t quite accurate, as it refers to a status or position.
An attendant was the lowest-ranking… person who had been rendered incapable of reproduction.
The old eunuch appreciated Xu Qi’an’s enthusiastic work attitude. His smile deepened as he asked, “If this old servant may ask, where does Lord Xu plan to start the investigation?”
Xu Qi’an grinned and said, “I’ll start with Princess Lingan.”
The old eunuch returned to the Imperial Study. Shortly after, a young eunuch came running out and bowed to Wei Yuan and Xu Qi’an.
Xu Qi’an nodded, escorted Wei Yuan to the palace gates, then, accompanied by the attendant, headed towards Princess Lingan’s Shaoyin Garden.
…
At Shaoyin Garden.
In the desolate back garden, Lingan sat in a pavilion, staring blankly at the still water of the pond.
The water in the pond had frozen overnight, and now under the warm sun, it was gradually melting, with only a few ice floes remaining.
In just five days, Lingan had lost a lot of weight. Her once plump oval face now appeared somewhat gaunt. Her peach blossom eyes, originally bright and slightly dreamy, always seeming to gaze at others with seductive charm, now lacked their usual luster.
From childhood to adulthood, except for being beaten by Huai Qing, she had always lived a carefree and smooth life.
Because Emperor Yuanjing had started cultivating early, though he had quite a few children, the number wasn’t excessive. The scheming and infighting among the princes and princesses weren’t too intense.
Moreover, with her elder brother being the Crown Prince, and her own ability to act coquettishly and know how to please others in a flirtatious manner, she had always sailed smoothly through life.
But the continuous bad news of the past few days had left her feeling dejected and greatly impacted.
Today, she had just finished crying with her mother, both worried about the Crown Prince’s future. After returning, Lingan sat in the pavilion, lost in thought.
If it were Huai Qing, she would undoubtedly be incredibly strong. She was the type of woman who wouldn’t be defeated by anything… The Crown Prince brother definitely wouldn’t do such a thing, but who would frame him? The Fourth Prince, Huai Qing’s full brother?
This thought suddenly flashed through Lingan’s mind.
She wasn’t as clever as Huai Qing, she was poor at studying, and when reciting classics, the tutor had to threaten her with a bamboo stick before she would reluctantly, with tears in her eyes, recite a few passages.
But she wasn’t stupid. Under the premise that she was certain her Crown Prince brother was innocent, if she just thought a little about who would benefit most from the Crown Prince’s downfall, the suspicious figure would immediately surface.
With this in mind, Lingan’s eyes became slightly more animated. She actively engaged her mind and thought of many questions.
For instance, how did the Fourth Prince secretly kill Consort Fu and frame the Crown Prince? Who were his accomplices? The Empress? Huai Qing?
And so on.
But the more she thought, the more confused she became, the more chaotic her thoughts. Frustrated, she slapped her forehead.
“If only he were still here, he’d definitely solve the case in no time,” Lingan stomped her foot angrily.
But the next moment, her face suddenly fell, her eyebrows drooping, losing all spirit.
But… he’s no longer here.
“Your Highness, Your Highness,” a sword-bearing guard came running hurriedly. He stopped at the pavilion and cupped his hands, saying, “Constable Xu Qi’an requests an audience… he’s waiting in the front courtyard.”
Lingan’s reaction was as if she had been struck by a club. She was dazed for about three or four seconds, then suddenly stood up and walked briskly to the guard. Her beautiful eyes stared intently at him:
“What did you say?”
“Constable Xu Qi’an requests an audience,” the guard repeated.
Blood rushed to her face. Lingan, unprecedentedly enraged, forcefully drew the guard’s sword and said through gritted teeth:
“You dog, you dare to mock this princess? The Crown Prince hasn’t even been deposed yet.”
The real reason for her fury was that the guard had used Xu Qi’an to tease her.
The guard hurriedly retreated, explaining as he backed away, “It really is Young Master Xu. Young Master Xu has come and is in the front courtyard. Your Highness can see for yourself.”
Lingan, still holding the sword, rushed hurriedly towards the front courtyard.
From a distance, Xu Qi’an first spotted Biaobiao in her fiery red dress. Seeing her approach with a sword, looking fierce and menacing, he was startled.
He thought to himself, “I’ve just barely escaped death’s door, and now, my lady, you’re planning to send me back?”
He quickly put away the little trinket he had prepared to please Lingan and hid behind a fake mountain.
“Where is Xu Qi’an? Where is Xu Qi’an?” Lingan, holding the sword, looked around the front courtyard, unable to see the familiar figure. Her bright eyes gradually dimmed.
“Your Highness, Lord Xu is behind the fake mountain,” the eunuch attendant said softly.
Lingan’s peach blossom eyes instantly lit up. She walked eagerly towards the fake mountain and indeed saw… Xu Qi’an?
She was stunned for a moment. The man before her was masculine and handsome, with upward-slanting eyebrows, bright and spirited eyes, a high nose bridge, and lips with well-defined lines.
Then, Lingan’s attention was drawn to the two string puppets in Xu Qi’an’s hands.
They were a male and a female. The female was dressed like a noble lady, while the male was a martial general in armor.
Xu Qi’an coughed and manipulated the martial general, speaking in a deep voice: “Your Highness, this humble servant has returned from plastic surgery in Han Country.”
Then, he switched to a high-pitched voice, manipulating the lady: “Where is Han Country?”
The martial general: “Oh, I mean Yun Province. This servant misspoke.”
The lady: “Weren’t you dead in Yun Province?”
The martial general: “I was indeed dead, but this servant’s constant thoughts of the princess moved the King of Hell, so I was allowed to return.”
The lady: “Oh, you’re so annoying!”
Lingan found it amusing and giggled. Suddenly, she felt her face grow cold, realizing that tears had silently streamed down her cheeks without her noticing.
Feeling embarrassed, she quickly turned away, explaining in a mix of shame and anger: “The wind is quite strong today, blowing sand into my eyes.”
As a lively, delicate girl who loved to act coquettishly, she actually fell for this kind of act. Due to her lack of romantic experience and poor ability to identify scoundrels, she exuded an aura that attracted such men.
Of course, Xu Qi’an was absolutely not a scoundrel.
Xu Qi’an smiled and said, “How strange, the sand only got into the princess’s eyes. Could it be because the princess is so beautiful?”
Exposed, Lingan angrily said, “You dog servant!”
“This humble servant is not a dog servant.”
“You are a dog servant, dog servant Xu Qi’an.”
“Dog-fing Lingan.”
“Dog… what?” Princess Lingan didn’t understand that “f” was a verb.
“Nothing,” Xu Qi’an took advantage of her not understanding his hometown dialect.
“You were cursing me just now, weren’t you?” Lingan put on a stern face.
“No, that was my deepest wish for the princess,” Xu Qi’an replied with a straight face.
…
Coming out from behind the fake mountain, Biaobiao returned the sword to the guard and led Xu Qi’an into the main hall. The eunuch attendant followed behind, looking at the Second Princess with a strange expression.
The Second Princess’s beautiful, lively eyes were swollen, clearly from recent crying.
They sat down, and palace maids served tea and snacks. Xu Qi’an waved his hand and said, “Little eunuch, you may withdraw. This official has confidential matters to discuss with the princess.”
“But…” The young eunuch hesitated.
“Get out, get out, get out!” Biaobiao furrowed her brows and scolded coquettishly, “This princess has something to discuss with Lord Xu. Is it your place to eavesdrop? Do you want to be dragged out and given a hundred strokes?”
The young eunuch had no choice but to withdraw.
“Why is he by your side? How did you come back alive? Didn’t Huai Qing say you were dead?”
Biaobiao watched the young eunuch’s back disappear beyond the threshold, then turned her gaze to Xu Qi’an, her pretty face breaking into a smile.
“He’s here to monitor me,” Xu Qi’an said, taking a sip of hot tea and eating some pastries. He had waited in the Imperial Study for over two hours and had missed lunch.
“As for how I’m alive, that’s a long story…”
He recounted the events of the Yun Province case to Princess Lingan, making some slight modifications. Of course, the modifications weren’t fabrications, so Xu Qi’an merely embellished and highlighted his own role while downplaying the presence of others.
Lingan loved listening to stories the most. She started off intrigued, gradually becoming immersed in the tale. When she heard about Xu Qi’an staying up all night to solve the puzzle left by the sleeper agent Zhou Min, she slapped the table with her small hand, loudly cheering.
She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands, listening intently.
Xu Qi’an discreetly glanced at the princess’s chest, feeling somewhat disappointed. Compared to her elder sister, Lingan still had some catching up to do.
A woman who can’t put pressure on the table isn’t a good woman, he thought.
When she heard about a female ghost coming to bewitch Xu Qi’an and his companions, with two colleagues falling victim while Xu Qi’an resisted due to his strong will, Biaobiao expressed her admiration, praising him: “As expected of someone I value. When I first saw you, I knew you weren’t ordinary.”
Xu Qi’an expressed his gratitude for the princess’s discerning eye, while inwardly thinking, “Weren’t you just trying to compete with Huai Qing and make her jealous when you forcibly recruited me?”
Finally, Xu Qi’an began to describe how he single-handedly faced thousands of troops, surrounded by arrows raining down like rain and spears as dense as a forest. He didn’t retreat a step, slaying two hundred enemies before finally holding out until reinforcements arrived.
Biaobiao listened with tears streaming down her face, her nose reddened from crying.
“Your Highness, you should have seen the scene. With one roar from me, those thousand rebels were terrified, their courage failing. They only fought me reluctantly. If I hadn’t been in poor condition at the time, none of them would have survived.”
Biaobiao nodded vigorously, believing every word.
After all, she had heard about Xu Qi’an’s exploits from her royal brother before. Everyone said Xu Qi’an had died a heroic death, saving the Imperial Inspector and the Golden Gong of the Night Watchmen’s Office.
After boasting, Xu Qi’an remembered the real purpose of his visit and said, “By the way, I’ve come to the palace this time on His Majesty’s orders to thoroughly investigate Consort Fu’s case.”
Biaobiao’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she said happily, “I knew it! With you back, everything will be fine. You’ll be able to clear my Crown Prince brother’s name.”
“I will always serve the princess, willing to be a horse or an ox for you,” Xu Qi’an said sincerely.
He had successfully increased Lingan’s favor towards him.
“I have a few questions for the princess. What did Consort Fu look like?”
“She was extremely beautiful, of course.”
Emperor Yuanjing really wasted such a treasure… Xu Qi’an sighed inwardly, then asked, “Is the Crown Prince lustful?”
“Of course not,” Lingan firmly denied, saying, “Apart from the Crown Princess, my Crown Prince brother’s secondary consorts, concubines, and other companions add up to only sixteen.”
“…”
Xu Qi’an thought to himself, I’m truly a good man indeed, the epitome of a good man, and that’s me, Xu Qi’an!
“Has he ever caused trouble while drunk?”
“Never.”
“What kind of wine was he drinking?”
“Hundred Days of Spring, a wine for kidney tonic and male enhancement. It was sent to my mother’s palace by the Empress. Do you think she framed him?” Lingan said in a low voice.
Xu Qi’an pondered for a moment and said, “I understand now.”
Lingan was overjoyed and said coquettishly, “What do you understand? Xu Ning Yan, have you solved the case?”
…
At the Xu residence.
The exhausted Second Young Master Xu didn’t immediately return to the academy. Today was the tenth day of the second month, and in five more days, it would be time for the spring imperial examinations. There was no need to return to the academy.
He planned to stay at home for these few days, waiting for the imperial examinations to begin.
After lunch, he helped his father, Xu Pingzhi, see off the Xu clan members. The worn-out Second Young Master Xu didn’t want to study at all and only wished to return to his room for a long nap.
However, Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, hurriedly ran in and said, “Second Young Master, there’s a monk outside who calls himself Hengyuan. He wants to see you.”
“Hengyuan?” Second Young Master Xu frowned, feeling the name was somewhat familiar, but couldn’t quite remember.
As a Confucian disciple, he didn’t believe in Buddhism and had no connection with Buddhist circles.
“He also said he’s an acquaintance of yours,” Old Zhang added.
Second Young Master Xu scoffed and looked at Xu Pingzhi: “Father, he must have seen that our family has had a funeral and wants to perform rituals. Please prepare some copper coins to send him away. I’m going back to my room to rest.”
Old Zhang took a silver coin and walked out of the gate, handing it to the burly middle-aged monk, saying:
“Master, our household doesn’t need any rituals performed. Please leave.”
Master Hengyuan waved his hand, saying, “This poor monk isn’t here to beg for alms.”
However, he honestly accepted the silver coin and said, “Does the Second Young Master of your household really not want to see this poor monk?”
What’s going on with Number Three?
Although they had never met face to face, given the numerous times he had helped and the connection through his cousin Xu Qi’an, he should at least meet with me and let me see Lord Xu one last time, regardless of the circumstances.
Hmm, he might think his identity is still a secret and that this poor monk hasn’t realized his true identity, so he’s pretending not to know me?
Heh, he really underestimates this poor monk’s wisdom.
Monk Hengyuan put his palms together and bowed, then walked to the side. He took out a fragment of the Earth Book from his bosom and, using his finger as a pen, wrote a message: “Daoist Master Golden Lotus, can you screen out everyone else? I have something I want to say to Number Three.”