Wei Yuan stepped forward, bowed, and spoke clearly: “In peacetime, military households can be self-sufficient by cultivating military fields. Once war breaks out, the court needs to allocate provisions and military supplies. This is a fundamental principle.”
Prime Minister Wang narrowed his eyes, gazing at Wei Yuan with a profound look.
Hearing this, Marquis Chu Xiaolong smiled. In matters of war, these scholars who only knew how to talk could say a hundred words and still not match one sentence from Wei Yuan.
Securing provisions and military pay meant he had completed half of his mission for this trip to the capital.
Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong breathed a sigh of relief, somewhat surprised that Wei Yuan would support his strategy. This way, he could avoid the storm of the imperial examination fraud case and stay out of it.
On second thought, this matter aligned with His Majesty’s wishes. With the support of the nobility internally and the “pressure” from the barbarian army externally, it was the general trend. Even those who opposed it could see the situation.
Unexpectedly, Wei Yuan changed his tone and said, “However, before that, this humble official has something to report to Your Majesty.”
Everyone turned to look at him.
Wei Yuan’s expression remained unchanged, disregarding the gazes of the officials.
Emperor Yuanjing said, “Speak.”
“My subordinates discovered a group of martial artists engaged in a deadly battle on the outskirts of the capital. They went forward to stop them, but unexpectedly, the larger group not only didn’t cease fighting but beheaded the person they were surrounding and fled quickly.”
Wei Yuan spoke emphatically as if the truth of the matter was exactly as he described: “Before dying, the victim shouted, ‘There’s trouble in the North.'”
Hearing Wei Yuan’s words, all present, including Emperor Yuanjing, changed their expressions.
Marquis Chu Xiaolong suddenly turned his head to stare at Wei Yuan, then quickly averted his gaze, not daring to offend. He stiffly said:
“Of course, there’s trouble in the North. The barbarians are looting everywhere, provoking war…”
Wei Yuan’s face remained calm, “So, the barbarians massacred three thousand li in the North, and General Chu dismisses it with just a mention of burning, killing, and looting?”
This statement shocked everyone present. Emperor Yuanjing even rose from his throne, staring intently at the blue-robed official below:
“Wei Yuan, explain yourself clearly. What do you mean by ‘massacred three thousand li’… huh?!”
Marquis Chu Xiaolong hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, there’s no such thing…”
“Silence!”
Emperor Yuanjing raised his hand to interrupt, giving him a cold look before turning to Wei Yuan: “What proof do you have?”
Wei Yuan reached into his robes, pulled out a sachet, untied the red string, and a wisp of blue smoke rose, twisting and changing in midair into a man with blurred features and a vacant gaze, mumbling:
“Massacred three thousand li, massacred three thousand li, please send troops to suppress them…”
Wei Yuan continued, “This humble official has already brought the corpse of this man. It’s outside the palace gates. Your Majesty can send someone to examine it. This man is from the Northern lands!”
The Imperial Study fell silent.
Emperor Yuanjing slowly stood up, his face as dark as water, and said word by word: “Examine the corpse!”
The old eunuch lowered his head and hurried back to relay the order, as if fleeing, not daring to breathe loudly.
Emperor Yuanjing sat high on the dragon throne, his expression gloomy, not saying a word. Below, the officials silently exchanged glances, while Marquis Chu Xiaolong’s face turned ashen, glaring at Wei Yuan with sidelong glances.
After an agonizing quarter of an hour, the old eunuch returned and whispered in Emperor Yuanjing’s ear.
Emperor Yuanjing remained silent for a long time, then slowly said, “Summon the Imperial Astronomers to the palace for questioning. I’m tired. My beloved officials, please go rest in the side hall for a moment.”
He stared at Marquis Chu Xiaolong and said in a deep voice, “You stay here.”
With that, he stood up first and left the Imperial Study.
The officials, led by the eunuchs, went to rest in the side hall.
…
In the side hall.
The Minister of Revenue held his tea, took a sip, and turned his head to look at the expressionless Wei Yuan, probing, “Lord Wei, is this matter true?”
All the officials immediately looked at Wei Yuan, who replied with a serious face and a cold glance at the Minister of Revenue: “Does Minister Zhao think I am joking?”
“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”
The Minister of Revenue sighed, “Massacred three thousand li… if this is true, how many people must have died in the Northern border? The Night Watchmen’s Office has agents everywhere, why haven’t we received any news?”
Wei Yuan did not respond to the Minister of Revenue’s probing.
Prime Minister Wang narrowed his eyes, his fingers lightly tapping the table, lost in thought.
Two incense sticks’ worth of time passed, and the old eunuch entered the side hall, respectfully saying, “His Majesty requests the officials to return to the Imperial Study.”
Next, the white-robed Imperial Astronomer summoned from the Imperial Observatory questioned Marquis Chu Xiaolong. The answer was as expected – every word Marquis Chu Xiaolong had said was true.
The Northern Frontier King had won a great victory against the barbarians in the North, but the barbarians’ guerrilla tactics had indeed caused great trouble for the Northern Frontier King, exhausting the northern border troops.
The barbarian army was held outside the border, so naturally, there was no massacre of three thousand li.
In the Imperial Study, the atmosphere suddenly relaxed, and everyone let out a sigh of relief.
“Hmph!”
Marquis Chu Xiaolong snorted coldly, “I don’t know where Lord Wei got his information from, nearly causing His Majesty and the officials to misunderstand the Prince. As far as I know, the Prince hasn’t offended Lord Wei, has he?”
Wei Yuan ignored him and stepped forward, speaking loudly: “This matter is of great importance. What this person said might be true, but it doesn’t mean the situation in the North is exactly as described.”
Marquis Chu Xiaolong raised his eyebrows, about to refute, when he saw Prime Minister Wang step out and agree:
“Your Majesty, this humble official thinks Lord Wei’s words are reasonable. The matter is serious and cannot be taken lightly. It must be thoroughly investigated.”
Led by Prime Minister Wang and Wei Yuan, the officials all responded in agreement.
Emperor Yuanjing pondered, “How do you think we should investigate this matter, my beloved officials?”
Prime Minister Wang said, “Your Majesty can continue to collect provisions and military pay to be sent to Chu Prefecture. At the same time, dispatch another team of imperial envoys to accompany them and thoroughly investigate this case in the Northern border.”
Wei Yuan said, “This official seconds the motion.”
Emperor Yuanjing nodded, “Let’s do it that way.”
…
At the Xu residence.
Su Su sat on the eaves, holding a red umbrella to shield herself from the yang energy, watching the little girl doing horse stances in the courtyard.
In the hall next door, Li Miaozhen was talking with the Xu family’s matriarch and young lady.
When the aunt and Xu Lingyue heard that there were more guests staying at their home, they were not pleased.
The former felt that if this continued, their home would turn into a charity house. The latter felt that this woman was too beautiful and posed a threat to herself.
Besides the woman in Taoist robes, the snow-white woman outside made Xu Lingyue feel like she had thorns on her back. She felt that based on looks alone, not only did she have no chance of winning, but she might even be slightly inferior.
That woman holding the red umbrella had an indescribable charm that was particularly alluring.
However, after hearing that Li Miaozhen was Xu Qi’an’s lifesaver, the aunt and Xu Lingyue immediately changed their attitudes, showing more genuine gratitude and welcome.
“The Xu family is indeed a martial arts family. I see that young miss is still young, but she’s already starting to build a foundation for martial arts,” Li Miaozhen, being quite adept at social niceties, didn’t forget to compliment them during casual conversation.
The aunt heard this and felt very sad, saying helplessly, “I hope she can study for a few years. I’m not asking for her to be proficient in the four arts, but at least to be cultured and well-mannered. Unfortunately, she’s a simple child.”
That child may be quite simple, but how could she be called simple-minded? Xu Qi’an’s cousin is a student at the Cloud Deer Academy, why doesn’t he teach his sister to read? Li Miaozhen thought for a moment and said:
“Since I’m staying at the Xu residence, in my spare time, I can help teach the young miss some basics.”
Her thought was that Xu Xin’an was busy with his studies and had no time to teach his younger sister, while Xu Qi’an and Xu Pingzhi were martial artists and were more inclined to have the Xu family’s young miss practice martial arts.
After all, it was just teaching a child for a while, it wouldn’t be any trouble.
The aunt was stunned and was about to refuse, but Xu Lingyue beat her to it and agreed, smiling modestly: “If so, then many thanks to Taoist Li.”
Li Miaozhen had a very good impression of this clear and beautiful young girl with a gentle smile, and smiled back: “It’s nothing.”
After saying this, she noticed that the Xu family matriarch’s gaze towards her had gained some pity and sympathy.
…
“Big sister, big sister, are you a ghost?”
Xu Lingyin was in a horse stance, her short legs trembling slightly. She looked up at Su Su on the eaves.
“Yes, I eat people. Aren’t you afraid?” Su Su tried to scare her.
“I’m scared!” Xu Lingyin showed a frightened expression.
Su Su giggled, feeling a bit proud. She hummed a little tune and stared blankly at the azure sky.
After some time passed, the two girls, one big and one small, disappeared from the courtyard.
“Big sister, big sister…”
A call came from below. Su Su looked down and saw the little girl standing under the eaves, looking up at her with clear eyes.
“Can you come down?” asked the little girl.
Su Su floated down lightly into the courtyard, looking down at the top of Xu Lingyin’s head, and said impatiently, “What is it?”
Xu Lingyin didn’t speak but gestured secretively for her to follow.
Su Su followed curiously, all the way to the kitchen where the smell of cooking hit them. The little girl struggled to cross the threshold, then turned back and said:
“Big sister, come on.”
In the kitchen, the little dark-skinned girl from Nanjiang was tending the fire. Oil was bubbling in the pot. Xu Lingyin pulled Su Su to the side of the pot, looked up expectantly, and said:
“Big sister, can you climb in by yourself?”
Su Su’s face suddenly froze.
…
Xu Qi’an returned home after his shift and introduced Li Miaozhen to Second Uncle Xu. Second Uncle Xu initially thought she was his nephew’s friend and nodded with the air of an elder.
He calmly asked, “At which place does Taoist Li practice?”
“She is the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect, one of the protagonists in the battle between Heaven and Man,” Xu Qi’an added.
“…”
Xu Pingzhi almost stood up to bow and shout: Greetings, Holy Maiden.
“We met in Yun Prefecture…” Xu Qi’an explained briefly.
Xu Pingzhi nodded dumbly, his inner thoughts tumultuous.
To think that the eldest nephew even knows the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect. His connections are becoming wider and wider, and his strength is growing stronger and stronger, while I’ve just broken through to the Spirit Refining realm… He’s made something of himself.
Second Uncle Xu thought with satisfaction, but also felt that the gap between himself and his nephew was growing larger, a sense of loss welling up in his heart.
Looking at his son again, this boy, after participating in the palace examination, would be a proper official of the court. Although his progress wasn’t as exaggerated as Ning Yan’s, it was already a meteoric rise, a dragon among men.
I can say I’ve lived up to our ancestors… It’s a pity that my elder brother died early and couldn’t see his son and nephew become so accomplished…
At this moment, Xu Xin’an said solemnly, “Elder brother, Miss Wang has invited me to go boating again.”
Could it be that Miss Wang likes our Second Young Master? Xu Qi’an’s heart stirred, increasingly certain of his guess.
During the imperial examination fraud case, Miss Wang had “tipped him off,” and the content was true, which was very unusual.
Now, connecting it to the two boating invitations, it could almost be determined that Miss Wang had intentions toward Second Young Master, and her offensive was quite strong.
Thinking of this, Xu Qi’an smiled and said, “So did you agree?”
Xu Xin’an snorted, “I declined, citing the upcoming palace examination as an excuse.”
“Well done, Second Brother…” Xu Qi’an patted his shoulder, praising, “A model for us all.”
The elder brother is sarcastically mocking the Second Brother.
A model for us all? Poor choice of words. Huh, uncultured elder brother… Second Brother also mocked Elder Brother in his heart.
…
After dinner, Xu Qi’an came to Li Miaozhen’s room. Just as he was about to knock, he heard Su Su’s voice from inside:
“Master, the child in this family is so scary. She, she wants to eat me, and even heated a pot of oil.”
“Children say things without meaning them and act accordingly. Don’t take it to heart,” Li Miaozhen casually placated her.
“No, I can feel that she wasn’t joking. That burning gaze…” Su Su said a few more words, but seeing Li Miaozhen’s lack of interest, she angrily humphed and called out:
“You stinky man, your sister wants to eat me.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the door opened automatically. Su Su stood with her hands on her hips, cheeks puffed out, glaring at him angrily.
Ah, this… I remember now. Aunt had told her that fried ghosts tasted very good. This silly child not only took it seriously but remembered it for so long.
So, with this memory, she could easily memorize English vocabulary, yet she can’t even recite the Three Character Classic?
While Xu Qi’an was internally criticizing, he changed the subject: “Su Su, I remember you saying that if I agreed to two of your requests, you would be my concubine for three years.”
Hearing this, Li Miaozhen glared fiercely at Su Su.
The ghost girl, more alluring and seductive than her master in terms of feminine charm, put her hands on her hips and said, “That’s right! If you help me reconstruct my physical body and investigate why my father was beheaded back then, I’ll not only be your concubine for three years, I’ll even bear you a son.”
Whether she became a concubine or not didn’t matter. Xu Qi’an had agreed to her at the time because he felt it was a bit unfair to take advantage of a female ghost.
Now that Li Miaozhen had come to the capital, he wouldn’t forget his promise from back then.
Of course, if Su Su insisted on repaying him, being a concubine was fine too.
Must let Song Qing create a 36D body. I don’t care myself, but we can’t let the child suffer… He silently joked to himself, then looked at Li Miaozhen:
“First, tell me everything you know.”
The expressions of the master and servant pair turned serious. Li Miaozhen said, “Su Su was born in Jiang Prefecture. Her father was the prefect of Jiang Prefecture. In the 15th year of Yuanjing’s reign, he was charged with a crime and beheaded. Originally, the women of the family would have been sent to the teaching courtyard.
“Her mother, being of strong character, was unwilling to enter the teaching courtyard to become a courtesan. She poisoned all the women with a cup of poisoned wine, including Su Su. However, she had a young brother who was studying abroad at the time and luckily escaped.
“On this trip to the capital, I took Su Su and detoured to Jiangzhou to investigate the events of that year. I unexpectedly discovered something strange.”