Chen Tai, who was drinking tea, immediately spat it out upon hearing this.

Li Mubai and Zhang Shen both froze, then abruptly turned to stare at Xu Qi An.

“The poet wasn’t Yang Ling?”

My little brother must be itching for trouble, selling me out so quickly and cleanly… Xu Qi An steeled himself and said, “It was my pen name.”

“Really?”

“Really!”

The two still didn’t believe him and asked, “What were you doing at the Jiaofang Si?”

Xu Qi An sat up straight and said, “A young man’s fancy.”

The room suddenly fell silent. The three great scholars felt as if there was stagnant blood in their chests, wanting to vomit but unable to.

A few seconds later, Zhang Shen stood up and pointed at Xu Qi An’s nose, “You, you…”

He paced around the room, extremely agitated: “An immortal masterpiece, and you used it on a courtesan? Is she worthy? Is she worthy?”

Yes, yes, yes, it would have been better used on you… Xu Qi An grumbled inwardly, while outwardly maintaining the posture of a student listening to his teacher’s admonishment.

Li Mubai was equally emotional, “If you’re going to compose about plum blossoms, then do so, but ‘Gifting Fragrant Float at the Small Plum Shadow Pavilion’ is simply vulgar, unbearably so. You’ve utterly ruined a good poem.”

If it could be changed to ‘Gifting Mr. Mubai at the Cloud Deer Academy,’ you’d probably be squealing with delight… Xu Qi An mocked in his heart.

Two lines of poetry become eternal… using it on a courtesan was indeed a waste. But things couldn’t be judged solely on the surface. If he hadn’t used this poem to win the favor of Fragrant Float, the top courtesan, how would he have obtained useful information?

How could he have framed Zhou Liyi?

If he hadn’t framed Zhou Liyi, what if Zhou Shilang had weathered the storm? What if his political enemies hadn’t brought him down?

What fate would have awaited the Xu family then?

The poem was plagiarized anyway, so he didn’t feel too bad about it. Besides, if it couldn’t solve the immediate problem, what use was a stockpile of poetry in his belly?

Even the best poetry only became useful when it could be exchanged for tangible benefits.

Chen Tai sighed inwardly. Initially, he was surprised and disbelieving that Yang Ling was Xu Qi An’s pen name, but upon careful consideration, he found it reasonable.

How could such poetic talent appear out of nowhere?

“If Li Mubai and Zhang Shen can take him as a disciple, so can I… Since he already has two teachers, why can’t he have a third?” The great scholar Chen secretly decided to find an opportunity to take this poetic talent under his wing in the future.

After enduring a verbal bombardment, Xu Qi An obediently admitted his mistake and promised that in the future, if he composed any good poems or verses, he would let his two teachers revise and polish them first.

Only then did Li Mubai and Zhang Shen reluctantly calm down.

Apart from the regret of having missed out on a timeless masterpiece, the two great scholars truly felt that Xu Qi An had wasted this poem by using it on a courtesan from the Jiaofang Si.

It was a terrible waste.

Xu Xinnian still had some conscience and timely came out to smooth things over, changing the subject: “My younger sister has been receiving enlightenment at the academy for many days now. I wonder if there has been any progress?”

The three great scholars exchanged glances, and Chen Tai couldn’t help but laugh: “That sister of yours is truly determined and unshakeable.”

Zhang Shen said helplessly: “In ten days, she’s gone through four different teachers.”

Li Mubai added: “They’ve all sworn never to enlighten young children again in their lives.”

Xu Cixiu and Xu Ningyan: “…”

…

In the small courtyard, the family reunited after a long separation.

The aunt joyfully welcomed her husband and beloved son, while the Second Uncle also happily embraced his young daughter and wife.

Upon seeing her father, Xu Lingyin was overcome with emotion and clung to his leg, wailing loudly.

Second Uncle Xu felt a pang of pity, thinking his daughter must have suffered greatly during her enlightenment at the academy, and that the teachers there must have been very strict.

Wearing an indigo-colored silk robe, Xu Lingyue stood to the side, a faint smile on her slender oval face.

Being older, she couldn’t throw herself into her father’s arms without restraint like the little one, nor was she the eldest son who received the most affection from their parents.

The child caught in the middle was always in a somewhat awkward position.

“It’s been ten days since we last met, and my sister seems to have lost some weight,” Xu Qi An walked over and took his sister’s delicate hand, examining her closely.

Her slender waist, bound by a sash, could be encircled by one hand, and her chest was beginning to swell. The budding figure of a young girl was particularly alluring.

With her oval face and large eyes, she was flawless from near or far, lacking a bit of a woman’s charm but possessing the pure beauty and vivacity of a young girl.

Xu Lingyue instinctively tried to withdraw her hand but then resisted the urge. The warmth of her big brother’s palm made her face flush, and her eyes rippled with emotion as she softly called out: “Big Brother…”

On the way home, Xu Lingyue, breaking with tradition, expressed a desire to ride a horse. But since she didn’t know how to ride, with her father’s permission, she shared a mount with Xu Qi An.

The sunlight was gentle, and the wind felt cool on their faces. Riding a horse in the dead of winter was like riding a motorcycle in the depths of winter without a helmet.

Xu Lingyue, being a girl after all, nestled tightly in Xu Qi An’s embrace. Her bright eyes took in the scenery all around, feeling a sense of security she had never experienced before.

Xu Xinnian also had a sister in his arms.

“Second Brother, the horse is making me feel sick…”

“Then go back to the carriage.”

“I don’t want to, I want to ride on your shoulders.”

Xu Erlang frowned, annoyed by the little bean’s pestering.

The aunt in the carriage lifted the curtain, revealing her beautiful face.

“My lord, have you been out gallivanting while I wasn’t at home?”

Xu Xinnian and Xu Qi An answered in unison: “No.”

The aunt looked at the two of them for a moment, then said, “I wasn’t asking you two. Don’t be so nosy.”

…

Three days later, on a day off.

In the early morning, Xu Qi An was fiddling with the small jade mirror. The surface showed hazy images of a crossbow, bronze mirror, and a saber, like a painting with blurred brushstrokes.

He was temporarily using this mirror as a storage bag, stuffing all sorts of odds and ends into it.

He went to the main residence for breakfast. At the dining table, Xu Lingyue, with an expectant expression, said: “Big Brother has the day off today, why don’t we go out for a stroll?”

Second Uncle Xu, remembering the incident with Zhou Liyi’s reckless horse riding from before, frowned and said: “I also have the day off today. Lingyue, how about I accompany you instead?”

Xu Lingyue pondered for a moment, then shook her head: “Never mind, I suddenly feel a bit dizzy.”

Second Uncle Xu: “???”

Listen to some music at the theater in the morning, take a nap at home in the afternoon, then visit the black market in the evening. I need to hurry and break through to the Qi Refining realm… Xu Qi An’s mind wandered.

At this moment, Old Zhang, the doorman, hurriedly came to report, standing in front of the hall: “Master, there are two officers at the door.”

“Officers?” Xu Pingzhi took a sip of rice porridge and asked casually, “Where are these officers from?”

Xu Erlang said: “Big Brother, are they your colleagues?”

Xu Qi An replied nonchalantly: “Probably not.”

Old Zhang, the doorman, said: “This humble one doesn’t know, but they’re wearing black clothes with strange bronze gongs tied to their chests.”

The three Xu men’s hands trembled, and they exchanged a silent glance, all seeing the gravity in each other’s eyes.

Night Watchmen!

“Quickly, invite them in,” Xu Pingzhi hurriedly stood up and walked towards the front hall.

Xu Qi An and Xu Xinnian followed behind, their thoughts racing as they pondered the purpose of the Night Watchmen’s visit.

In the Great Feng Dynasty, the words “Night Watchmen” were not associated with anything good. They were often linked with bloody terms like accusation, imprisonment, and confiscation of property.

But upon self-reflection, given Second Uncle Xu’s level, the Night Watchmen shouldn’t be looking down on him.

Soon, the three met the visiting Night Watchmen in the front hall.

The two wore standard black uniforms with short capes hanging from their shoulders, and bronze gongs covered in complex incantations tied to their chests.

Both Night Watchmen were quite young. The one on the left had a serious expression and didn’t smile. The one on the right was quite the opposite, with a smile on his face and eyes narrowed to slits.

The young man with the smiling, narrowed eyes swept his gaze over the three Xu men and asked with a smile: “Which one is Xu Qi An?”

Xu Qi An stepped forward, “I am.”

The narrow-eyed young man nodded slightly: “Come with us.”

Xu Pingzhi’s eyebrows twitched, and he stepped in front of Xu Qi An, cupping his hands and saying in a deep voice: “Gentlemen, what crime has my nephew committed?”

The serious-faced young man frowned slightly.

The other one, still smiling, said: “Those who do no wrong by day need not fear the Night Watchmen at night.”

Given the Night Watchmen’s style of handling things, would they draw their swords and start cutting people down if we refuse? Xu Qi An placed a hand on his second uncle’s shoulder and looked at the two Night Watchmen: “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

He followed the Night Watchmen out of the Xu mansion. A carriage was waiting at the gate, and the serious-faced Night Watchman pointed at the carriage compartment, indicating Xu Qi An should get in.

The young man who had been smiling all along took the bronze gong from his chest and struck it hard. Amid the loud sound, he called out: “The air is dry, beware of fire!”

The Night Watchmen’s office was in the inner city, far from the Xu mansion. It would take several hours on foot, so arranging a carriage for Xu Qi An wasn’t because he was receiving any special treatment, but simply to save time.

The serious Night Watchman drove the carriage, while inside the compartment, Xu Qi An sat face to face with the young man with a gentle smile.

What do the Night Watchmen want with me? Is it about Zhou Liyi’s case? Impossible. I can’t guarantee a perfect crime, but I can guarantee that in the Great Feng Dynasty without surveillance facilities, it’s impossible to find out that I was the one who kidnapped the Zhang family’s second daughter. Even if there were traces, they wouldn’t have locked onto me so quickly…

Xu Qi An reached into his bosom, lightly tapped the back of the jade mirror, and poured out a silver note. He pulled it out and looked at it; the denomination was ten taels. He breathed a sigh of relief.

He sincerely handed over the silver note and said, “This humble one is a law-abiding citizen who admires the gentlemen’s hard work for the country and the people. Please accept these ten taels of silver for tea. If the gentleman could tell this humble one what has happened, I would be extremely grateful.”

The Night Watchman’s gaze fell on the silver note, and he smiled harmlessly with narrowed eyes: “The Night Watchmen have strict rules. Accepting bribes over ten taels results in fifty strokes of the cane, over fifty taels leads to exile, and over a hundred taels means beheading. I have no reason to risk a beating for ten taels of silver.”

Xu Qi An showed an embarrassed smile and was about to take back the money when he heard the narrow-eyed young man say leisurely: “If you want to get information from me… you’ll have to pay more!”

Xu Qi An, without hesitation, handed over thirty taels.

The young man smiled, his eyes narrowing to slits. He put two silver notes in his bosom and handed the other one out through the curtain: “We’ve received thirty taels. You and I each get ten, and the remaining ten will be used for tea and entertainment at the Jiaofang Si tonight. Five taels each is just right.”

The serious-faced young man took the silver note and gave a low “Mm” in response.

The narrow-eyed young man crossed his legs and smiled at Xu Qi An: “Rules are important, but when everyone tacitly ignores the rules, if you’re too rigid about them, you’ll end up being ostracized.”