Sun Xuanji’s speech perfectly mimicked the empty rhetoric of leaders and bosses. Nobody would take it seriously except naive rookies full of youthful passion.
Zhong Li abstained, so there’s not much to say. Getting thirty votes showed how loyal her unfortunate followers were.
Yang Qianhuan was too busy putting on air and maintaining his image. Did he think he could win over all his fellow disciples just by showing the back of his head?
Song Qing did make promises, yes, but he only targeted his group—the alchemists.
Alchemy was just one of many Sorcerer disciplines, not all Sorcerers were obsessed with it. Emptying the treasury to support alchemy experiments would only make others worry about depleting the Bureau’s funds.
What about pill refinement? Buying medicines? Daily necessities?
Only Chu Caiwei’s promise, though seemingly childish and unsophisticated at first glance, had the widest coverage and greatest appeal.
Everyone needs to eat—food is heaven to the people. No one can resist good food. Even Song Qing, obsessed with alchemy, complained daily about the Bureau’s kitchen not making tasty enough dishes.
So while the Sorcerers openly mocked Sister Caiwei, they secretly voted for her.
“You cheated!”
Yang Qianhuan couldn’t accept this reality and shouted:
“Xu Ning Yan, you must have conspired with Her Majesty to cheat! How could anyone choose Sister Caiwei?! With Sister Caiwei as a Supervisory Official, what face does our Bureau have left? She doesn’t even know how to turn her back on the masses.
“I propose we vote again!”
Xu Qi’an said coolly:
“Proposal denied. The voting process was open and fair, there was no cheating. You all cast the votes, you know best who you voted for.”
The white-robed Sorcerers looked at each other, saying nothing.
Those who remained silent were the ones who had voted for Chu Caiwei.
Song Qing slammed the table and stood up:
“I object!
“How could my promises be worse than Sister Caiwei’s? Don’t you all want to spend silver freely? What do you really want?”
What do they want? I think if you had said “Everyone who votes for me gets a wife,” the position would have been yours without question… Xu Qi’an grumbled internally.
The hooded Yang Qianhuan turned around, unusually facing his “back of the head faction,” and berated them:
“You traitors, who voted for Sister Caiwei?”
He had sixty-six followers in total, but only got forty votes. Undoubtedly, twenty-two traitors were among them.
“Yes, who betrayed Elder Brother Yang? Shameful traitors.”
“That’s right, come forward and confess.”
All sixty-six spoke in unison.
Yang Qianhuan: “…”
Huaiqing looked around at everyone, her voice clear and cold, with the quality of clashing ice, and announced:
“We shall soon issue an edict appointing Chu Caiwei as the new Supervisory Official for a term of three years. The election meeting ends here. If anyone objects and causes trouble, We shall imprison them underground for three years. Don’t say you weren’t warned.”
Sun Xuanji silently turned and left.
Guardian Yuan watched his retreating figure and slowly read his mind:
“I’m tired, do as you please…”
Song Qing and Yang Qianhuan departed one after another, sleeves trailing behind them.
Zhong Li glanced at Xu Qi’an, who nodded:
“Stay at my residence for a few days during this period.”
To diminish some of the misfortune.
…
In the days that followed, Xu Qi’an returned to his monotonous life of flower arranging, teaching Lin’an, and secretly tumbling in bed with Fu Xiang.
To strengthen his qi and improve his cultivation, he diligently worked without rest, occasionally bringing some potency-enhancing and kidney-strengthening elixirs from Lingbao Temple to visit the Holy Child.
The Holy Child grew increasingly haggard… his eyes gradually showed a kind of enlightenment called “freedom from worldly desires,” though Xu Qi’an thought a more accurate description would be:
Not a drop left!
By the way, Xu Qi’an had rented a large two-courtyard residence in the capital for the Holy Child, housing over thirty beautiful companions who spent their days scheming against each other, quarreling, and taking turns draining the Holy Child’s life force.
Miao Youfang often brought Lina’s brother Mosang to visit (watch the show) at the Holy Child’s residence, thoroughly entertained.
At the end of April, Li Miaozhen returned to the capital after accumulating merit outside. She brought a jar of potency wine to catch up with her senior brother.
On the roof, Li Miaozhen looked at the murderous residence below and gloated:
“Senior Brother, life’s not easy lately, huh?
“Look at your dark circles, they’re rivaling Song Qing’s.”
Li Lingsu snorted coldly:
“You think Xu Ning Yan has it any better? Don’t be fooled by his constant act of satisfaction and enjoying the blessings of many women. The conflicts in his household are no less numerous.
“Though my waist aches, my situation is simple. I just need to keep each woman happy and spread the dough evenly. Though they quarrel, it won’t get out of control. Xu Ning Yan’s situation is much more interesting.
“First there’s Princess Lin’an, tsk tsk, she’s quite the troublemaker. Today she’ll suppress Night Consort, tomorrow she’ll provoke the Princess Consort, and the day after she’ll have three hundred rounds of battle with Xu Lingyue. That princess stirs things up.
“Yet her skill level is terrible, she can’t win against anyone. That spirit of fighting on despite repeated defeats, I find it incredible just hearing about it.”
Li Miaozhen snorted:
“Not surprising. Didn’t Huaiqing say that Lin’an is like a sparrow? Chirping endlessly, looking tiny and harmless, but when you’re not paying attention, she’ll fly up and peck your face.
“I don’t know what Xu Ning Yan likes about her.”
Li Lingsu chuckled:
“This shows how little you understand. Men love women like Lin’an—these adorably fierce paper tigers who are devoted to you, who hold back tears and look pitifully at you hoping you’ll stand up for them when they’re wronged.”
Li Miaozhen felt this was completely beyond her capabilities and snorted coldly:
“Just acting weak and pitiful, disgusting!”
“You’re wrong there. The one acting weak and pitiful is Xu Lingyue, but men fall for that too. Who doesn’t like having a beautiful sister depending on them? Speaking of Xu Lingyue, since the wedding, she’s dropped the act. Now she’s fighting fiercely with Xu Ning Yan’s birth mother.”
Li Miaozhen frowned, “What conflict could she have with Xu Ning Yan’s mother?”
They were two people with no “stake” in each other.
Li Lingsu spoke at length:
“Because the relationship between Aunt Xu and Xu Ning Yan’s birth mother is somewhat delicate. Though they’re polite on the surface, after some time, Aunt Xu inevitably thinks, ‘Now that this woman is back, the child I painstakingly raised isn’t mine anymore.’ Seeing her caring for Xu Ning Yan’s well-being makes her uncomfortable.
“You did nothing wrong, yet just because of your status, you’ve taken away the child I raised with such hardship. And from Madam Ji’s perspective, she just wants to make up for twenty-some years of absence.
“The National Teacher isn’t easy to deal with either, visiting the Xu residence every few days to drink tea and discuss the Dao with Xu Ning Yan in front of Lin’an. Oh right, that fox spirit is quite cunning now, she’s become Lin’an’s strategist.
“Specifically giving her advice…”
Li Miaozhen looked her senior brother up and down with an odd expression:
“How do you know all these details?”
“Miao Youfang told me all of it,” Li Lingsu raised his eyebrows.
Good grief, has Miao Youfang changed careers to become an intelligence gatherer? Specializing in collecting information about the women’s conflicts in the Xu residence? Weren’t you two already hung outside the Xu residence once? Want to be hung at the capital city gates?… Li Miaozhen’s mind was full of retorts.
Li Lingsu coughed and said:
“Enough about these trifling matters. Miaozhen, how’s your merit cultivation going?”
Li Miaozhen made an “mm” sound:
“Not bad.”
After switching to the Earth Sect method, she felt she had found her true path. Doing good deeds while cultivating suited her perfectly.
Li Lingsu sighed:
“Though the Earth Sect method suits you, you must guard against the crisis of demonic possession. So, your senior brother has thought of a solution for you.”
Li Miaozhen looked at the Sleeping Dragon in surprise, thinking you’re not the type to care about your junior sister, what trick are you planning?
Li Lingsu pulled out a brown-covered book, thin with about a dozen pages, and secretly stuffed it into Li Miaozhen’s arms, saying softly:
“Your senior brother stole this Human Sect method from Lingbao Temple, keep it safe.”
Human Sect method… Li Miaozhen looked at him sideways, what are you up to?
“There’s no way to solve Earth Sect demonic possession, but for Human Sect’s flame affliction, you can dual cultivate with Xu Ning Yan, sleep with him openly and legitimately. This is all your senior brother can do for you.” Li Lingsu winked.
Though he despised that dog, Xu Ning Yan, since his junior sister had feelings for him, he wouldn’t stand in the way of young love.
Besides, his junior sister’s fierce temperament made her much harder to handle than Luo Yuhen or the Princess Consort.
If Xu Ning Yan couldn’t resist… things would get interesting.
“You’re crazy!”
Li Miaozhen casually threw the Human Sect method into the courtyard’s flower bed.
“I’m not dealing with you, I’m leaving.”
Li Miaozhen flew away on her sword.
The Holy Child sat alone on the roof, dejectedly drinking tiger bone wine, thinking about the several close encounters awaiting him after dusk, his heart trembling with fear.
After finishing the tiger bone wine, the Holy Child felt renewed strength. He gracefully descended from the roof and searched through the flower bed, but found no trace of the Human Sect method book.
“Eh, she threw it here…”
…
Imperial Palace.
In the imperial study, Huaiqing sat behind the yellow silk-covered desk and said coolly:
“Today Prime Minister Qian submitted a memorial listing many young talents of both ability and character, hoping We would select one to be appointed as emperor consort.
“What does Imperial Enforcer Xu think?”
I think there might be an issue with the term “emperor consort”… Xu Qi’an below the platform said:
“Let me see.”
Seeing he wanted to look, Huaiqing’s face turned cold.
What are you looking at?
Going to choose one for me after looking?
Huaiqing looked at the seal-bearing eunuch and said coolly:
“Bring out the portraits for Imperial Enforcer Xu to review.”
The seal-bearing eunuch immediately brought forth more than ten portrait scrolls and, with the assistance of minor eunuchs, unrolled them one by one.
Xu Qi’an slowly scanned over the young masters of privileged status and superior position, and said irritably:
“What kind of grotesque specimens are these? How could they be worthy of our Emperor? Has Prime Minister Qian lost his mind?
“Is he tired of being Prime Minister?”
Huaiqing deliberately took the opposite stance and said coolly:
“We think they’re all quite good—each handsome and accomplished. The Great Zhou’s outstanding young men aren’t limited to Imperial Enforcer Xu, right?
“Pick whichever one you find most pleasing for Us.”
The people Qian Qingshu had selected weren’t bad at all, they could be said to be the cream of the capital’s second generation.
Their abilities were also remarkable.
Take this young master called “Qian Jun”—he could recite the Book of Songs backward at age ten and passed the child examination at twelve.
Though he failed the metropolitan examination last year, this year he would likely take first place with an essay titled “My Prime Minister Father”…
Xu Qi’an shook his head:
“These ordinary mortals, how could they be worthy of Your Majesty?”
Huaiqing made an “oh” sound, her tone cold:
“We are but an ordinary woman, We must marry and bear children eventually. These men are all future pillars of the Great Zhou, how could they be unworthy of Us!”
Xu Qi’an said casually:
“One worthy of Your Majesty must be a great hero who can hold up the heavens!”
Huaiqing leaned forward slightly with her hands on the desk, her beautiful eyes bright, as if she had been waiting for these words, and pressed:
“Then who does Imperial Enforcer Xu consider to be such a heaven-supporting hero?”