# 188. An Old Friend From Qingzhou?
Every person's destiny is different. Once an opportunity is missed, it's missed, and no amount of regret can bring it back.
Hongxiu, who had missed her chance to shine, was crying so hard she was gasping for breath. It would probably take her several days to realise this truth and a long time of self-adjustment to overcome her depression.
With Hongxiu crying like this, she had no choice but to leave the tea gathering. Young Master Wei and his friends, being well-mannered scholars, didn't complain or blame her. Instead, they comforted Hongxiu and advised her to rest well.
After sending Hongxiu off, Master Wei and his friends continued drinking. A place like the Jiaofangsi was meant for socialising and entertaining. Having beauties by their side was just a bonus; it didn't matter if they were absent. The men continued drinking and chatting as usual.
*Just then, didn't someone say that Nightwatchers were here for a tea gathering?* Young Master Wei suddenly thought of this detail and asked the maid serving them wine, "Did Hongxiu say that one of them claimed Fuxiang was his lover?"
"I think so," the maid replied.
A vague thought started forming in Master Wei’s mind. He stopped drinking, looking seriously at the maid, and said, "Then... what was the name of the Bronze Gong?"
"Sir, I don't know," the maid shook her head, thinking to herself that she hadn't paid attention to such details.
The other young men were all smart, and recalling Hongxiu's unusual behaviour earlier, they were startled. "Could it be that Xu Ningyan has come to Yuzhou?"
The case of the Shipping Administrator had just happened today and hadn't spread in Yuzhou yet. Among these scholars, only Young Master Wei had connections in officialdom, but even he would need a day or two to learn of such things.
"We can visit the station[^1] tomorrow. If that Nightwatcher is staying there, we must pay him a visit."
...
At the station!
The carriage slowed and stopped outside the station. Inspector Zhang got out of the carriage with a stern expression and returned to the station with Jiang Lyuzhong. It was already late at night with a full moon hanging in the sky.
Inspector Zhang glanced at the stable in the distance, where only a few horses were tethered. Entering the station, he asked the staff and learned that most of the Nightwatchers were out partying and hadn't returned.
Already in a heavy mood, Inspector Zhang angrily said, "Preposterous! We are on an imperial mission. How can they be so negligent and indulge in pleasure?"
Jiang Lyuzhong laughed, "They've been cooped up on the boat for so many days. It's natural to want to relax. As long as the Inspector is fine and healthy, it doesn't matter what they do otherwise."
The two of them went upstairs, and in the dark hallway, they encountered a guy in his underwear, shivering in the cold.
Jiang Lyuzhong, who had night vision, stared at the person in confusion, "What the hell are you up to?"
"I just took a cold bath."
It was Xu Qi'an, who hadn't stayed at the Jiaofangsi for the night.
"So?"
"This is the south." He said nonsensically and then sighed, "Just trying to recapture an old feeling... Gold Gong Jiang, Inspector Zhang, you’re back. The others stayed at the Jiaofangsi."
Inspector Zhang nodded and went into his room without a word.
"Why didn't you stay at the Jiaofangsi?" Jiang Lyuzhong scrutinised Xu Qi'an, knowing him to be a seasoned frequenter of such places.
"An eel, though not a proper eel, has its principles. Any transaction involving money is vulgar and sinful. This eel firmly opposes such behavior." Xu Qi'an said with a serious face and walked away.
Jiang Lyuzhong watched his retreating back, thinking that the guy must be drunk. Spouting all sorts of nonsense — and furthermore, a martial artist at Refining Vitality should already be immune to all sorts of cold and heat, yet he was still shivering.
Xu Qi'an entered his room, shut the door, and quickly jumped into bed, wrapping himself in the blanket, pretending to live in the cold and damp south.
Geographically speaking, although Yuzhou was not coastal, it was in the south. Unlike the bone-chilling cold of the capital, Yuzhou's cold seeped through all the pores in one’s skin.
This reminded Xu Qi'an of living in the south in his past life, taking baths in winter, turning off the hot water to soap up while shivering.
After bathing, dressing would make his nose run.
Unfortunately, as a Refining Qi martial artist, his body was too robust to feel cold easily. Even soaking in ice water would only feel cool.
Wrapped in his blanket, Xu Qi'an comfortably drifted into sleep.
…
Candlelight flickered, small as a pea, swaying with a dusky glow.
Inspector Zhang sat at his desk, picked up a brush, and began writing a memorial:
*As your servant passed through Yuzhou, he inadvertently uncovered a case of corruption. Yan Kai, the Shipping Administrator of the Yuzhou Transport Office, colluded with the local Yellow Flag Gang to assassinate a iron ore transport’s crew, and embezzle its cargo to Yunzhou…*
*Upon examining the Yuzhou Transport Office’s records of sunken ships, your servant discovered that within the past ten years, there have been forty-three cases in total, two million catties of iron ore were lost. The enormity of this number is appalling. Under complete secrecy, these traitors have drained the resources of the crown, extracting the essence and marrow of the nation — it makes one shudder in fear.*
*If merely the one province of Yuzhou can lose two million catties of iron within a decade, what staggering amount may be lost with all sixteen provinces of the Great Feng combined? Your servant urges Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate all incidents of sunken ships in the Transport Administrations of all provinces.*
*The former Minister of Industry colluded with the Church of the Warlock God, covertly supporting the banditry in Yuzhou, possibly with the intent of rebellion.*
*This aside, the Bronze Gong Xu Qi’an is astute beyond men, his skills are exceptional, and he is a pillar of the nation. In this embezzlement case, he should be given primary merit.*
*This journey to Yunzhou is fraught with danger. Your humble servant pledges to exert my utmost efforts, until the day I die.*
...
The next day at dusk, the group left Yuzhou, continuing their journey by boat to Yunzhou.
During the day, Xu Qi'an, along with the Huben Guards and his Nightwatcher colleagues, bought some seasonal vegetables, wine, rice, and other supplies in the city, all charged to the Shipping Office's account, essentially obtaining them for free.
That night, the ship's cook prepared a sumptuous feast for the imperial envoy's team. After a satisfying meal, Xu Qi'an sat cross-legged in his room, practicing his breathing exercises.
"Ningyan, it's such a pity you didn't sleep with the Oiran of the Yuzhou Jiaofangsi last night," Song Tingfeng said, feeling sorry for his colleague for passing up such a great opportunity.
"Heh, that Hongxiu despises us coarse martial men," Xu Qi'an replied.
"That's because you didn't reveal your true identity. If you had told her you were the great scholar who wrote '*its subtle fragrance drifts with the rising moon at dusk,*' she would've been eager to offer herself to you," Song Tingfeng countered.
Xu Qi'an was puzzled, "If that's the case, why didn't you speak up for me?"
Song Tingfeng sneered, "Bullshit, if I wasn’t jealous of you. Why would I help you get famous and then watch you sleep with the Oiran?"
"Aren't you having fun every day too?"
"How’s that the same?"
"Turn off the lights, and they're all the same."
"It's blow out, not turn off," Song Tingfeng corrected.
*Oil lamps are meant to be blown out, so what does turning off mean?*
Zhu Guangxiao, who was also practicing his breathing exercises, paused and opened his eyes, saying, "Besides the Oiran from Jiaofangsi, I noticed that Head Constable Lyu from the capital prefecture constabular seems to have a liking for Ningyan."
Song Tingfeng became even more sour, "How do you manage it? Your skills in attracting proper women are incredible. Teach me a few tricks, brother."
"Brother?"
"Teach your little brother a few tricks."
"You'll have to call me dad."
"Get lost!" Song Tingfeng flatly refused. He had been tricked by Xu Ningyan in a similar way once before.
"Will you call me or not?"
"Dad."
==line break==
Xu Qi'an laughed, “Ladies are like sand; if you grip them too tightly, they'll slip through your fingers. You need to get them wet, then not only can you hold on to ‘em, you can mould them into any shape you want.”
"What do you mean?" Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao didn't understand.
"You need to connect with their hearts, not just their bodies," Xu Qi'an explained.
"Sounds reasonable, but are you really qualified to say that?" Song Tingfeng retorted, suddenly angry. "You tricked me into calling you dad again. Take it back, or I'll kill you."
As he spoke, he lunged at Xu Qi'an, preparing to wrestle him down.
At that moment, the three of them heard cries for help from outside.
"Something's wrong..." Xu Qi'an kicked Song Tingfeng away, didn't bother putting on his boots, and dashed out of the room.
His two colleagues followed closely behind.
Almost simultaneously, the Silver Gongs, who had higher cultivation, also rushed out, followed by the Bronze Gongs.
At night, the boat was anchored in a calm section of the river. On the pitch-black water, a Huben Guard was floundering, sometimes sinking and then struggling back to the surface.
He appeared to be a capable swimmer, but something underwater seemed to be pulling him down with all its might.
"Hmph!"
From inside the cabin, a cold snort came from Jiang Lyuzhong.
The struggling Huben Guard suddenly seemed freed from his restraint and floated to the surface without being dragged down again.
The Nightwatchers on the deck threw down a rope and pulled him up.
By this time, more Huben Guards had rushed up from below deck, fully armed and tense.
"It's nothing, just someone falling into the water." Xu Qi'an turned to reassure them, then scrutinised the drenched man and noticed a bruised handprint on his ankle.
"What happened?" asked a Silver Gong, who was one of Jiang Lyuzhong's subordinates.
This mission was led by Gold Gong Jiang Lyuzhong, and apart from Xu Qi'an, who was sent by Wei Yuan for training, the other Nightwatchers were all under Jiang Lyuzhong's command.
As for Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, Xu Qi'an had brought them along because the travel stipend was too tempting, and there was also an opportunity for meritorious service.
The Huben Guard, who had fallen into the water, spat out a few mouthfuls of water and quickly recovered, though his face remained pale, likely from the fright.
"Your subordinate had too much to drink and went up to relieve myself... Suddenly, I heard someone in the water calling me. When I looked down, I saw my deceased mother.
"I don't know what came over me, but I remembered all the moments she raised me and was overcome with grief, so I jumped in.
"Once in the water, I sobered up and realised that even if my mother had turned into a ghost, she wouldn't be here. But something grabbed my foot and tried to drag me underwater…."
"It's a water ghost," an experienced sailor said fearfully. "The spirit of a drowned person, often luring others to their deaths. Many people drown in this canal every year, and the accumulated yin energy can easily give rise to water ghosts.
"Sirs, it's best not to go out at night. Water ghosts never come ashore. As long as you stay off the deck, you'll be fine. When we set sail, everything at night must be done below decks. It's a part of the trade."
Everyone couldn't help but turn and look at the pitch-black water. Encountering such a thing at night was indeed creepy.
After this incident, the Huben Guards no longer went out at night to relieve themselves, while the Nightwatchers continued as usual.
As for Xu Qi'an, he deliberately went to the deck every night, but he never encountered the legendary water ghost.
It wasn't because Xu Qi'an was fearless or wanted the water ghosts to take a break; he was just curious to see what water monkeys looked like. He had grown up hearing ghost stories about water monkeys.
Finally, the imperial envoy's team reached the Qingzhou dock.
After arriving in Qingzhou, they had to switch to traveling by land, which required carriages and horses that the team didn't have. They needed the help of the Qingzhou government to arrange these.
As they disembarked, Inspector Zhang walked up to Xu Qi'an with a smile and said, "The Commissioner of Qingzhou is a great scholar from the Yunlu Academy, Yang Gong, also known as Yang Ziqian."
Xu Qi’an didn’t immediately process what he had said, so Inspector Zhang added, "He is also known as Ziyang Jushi."
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[^1]: Post or courier stations in Ancient china also served as temporary residences for government figures on official matters, or important guests.