# 234. Your Majesty, please grant me death.
The Tower of Noble Spirit.
Upon returning to the constabulary, Nangong Qianrou and Zhang Kaitai immediately headed to the Tower of Noble Spirit. With Wei Yuan’s adopted son Nangong Qianrou leading, they didn't need to be announced and could go straight up to see him.
Wei Yuan stood before a large map hanging on the wall, his hands clasped behind his back, eyes narrowed, and silent. He had maintained this posture for an hour.
The map provided a bird's-eye view of the entire northeastern region, marking the headquarters of the Church of the Warlock God and the locations of various northeastern nations. This kind of map lacked precision and was only useful for a general overview, so it wasn't considered valuable.
More accurate maps were the kinds of secret items that nations would go to war over, fighting tooth and nail to acquire or protect them.
Footsteps sounded behind him, followed by the voices of Nangong Qianrou and Zhang Kaitai:
"Father."
"Duke Wei."
Without turning around, Wei Yuan spoke in a deep voice, "Xu Qi'an's body has been floating in the canal for over ten days; it shouldn't be kept any longer... Let his family bury him soon."
If one listened carefully, there was a trace of sorrow in the low voice.
Nangong Qianrou understood perfectly well why her foster father refused to look at Xu Qi'an's corpse. As a person in power and a strategist, his heart should be hard, cold even. Only those who are ruthless and detached can be invincible.
Wei Yuan was expected to be such an invincible person, unaffected by emotions.
Both the Nightwatchers in the constabulary and the outside world hoped that Wei Yuan was such a person.
"Foster Father…" Nangong Qianrou cleared her throat and said, "Xu Qi'an is not dead."
Wei Yuan whirled around, the movement so sharp that his blue robe billowed.
At that moment, the Grand Eunuch's face was a complex mix of emotions, his eyes reflecting surprise, confusion, joy, and hope... Nangong Qianrou had never seen such a complicated expression on his foster father's face.
But it was only a fleeting moment. The Grand Eunuch quickly regained his composure, calmly walked over to the table, sat down, and asked in a somewhat stern tone:
"What happened?"
Nangong Qianrou then recounted Xu Qi'an's explanation.
Wei Yuan listened quietly, then immediately said, "Have him come see me at once."
Nangong Qianrou nodded and glanced at the large bird's-eye map of the northeastern region. "And what about that spy…"
Xu Qi'an's resurrection raised the question: Should the plan to attack the Church of the Warlock God still proceed?
"We attack the Church of the Warlock God after autumn harvest; the plan remains unchanged." Wei Yuan's expression was cold, and his tone was filled with strong confidence.
Nangong Qianrou and Zhang Kaitai took their leave. The former intended to visit the Xu residence again, but as soon as they stepped out of the constabulary, they ran into Xu Qi'an, who was riding in.
"You're pretty tactful," Nangong Qianrou said with a click of her tongue. "Anyone who doesn't know better might think that Father has taken in another adopted son."
Xu Qi'an retorted, also clicking his tongue, "You’re well versed in ambiguity."
Nangong Qianrou was suddenly furious, mistakenly thinking that Xu Qi'an was mocking his androgynous appearance, and furrowed his brows: "Why didn't you just die in Yunzhou?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, an image flashed in Xu Qi'an's mind: Nangong Qianrou raising his right hand and swinging his arm to slap him...
With a sudden burst of intuition, Xu Qi'an lowered his body and dodged Nangong Qianrou's slap by the narrowest of margins, then quickly darted into the constabulary.
"Can't be bothered to argue with you. I'm off to see Duke Wei."
In front of a fourth-rank Gold Gong, that was the best move Xu Qi'an could pull off. Any further delay would have resulted in a severe beating.
Nangong Qianrou stood there, slightly dazed as he watched Xu Qi'an's retreating figure, then looked down at his hand… He dodged?
In the Refining Spirit realm, a martial artist's perception of danger was extremely sharp, allowing them to easily detect hostility or ambushes around them. Even with their eyes closed, they could fight in the chaos of battle. For a martial artist, reaching the Refining Spirit realm signifies a peak in individual combat ability.
However, with Nangong Qianrou's fourth-rank cultivation, even if he held back, he should have easily been able to land a slap on a Refining Spirit martial artist before they sensed the danger and reacted.
"How is that possible..." Nangong Qianrou frowned slightly.
...
As Xu Qi'an made his way through the constabulary, he received countless astonished looks. Whether they were Nightwatchers or clerks, everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.
The news of Bronze Gong Xu Qi'an's death in the line of duty had long since spread throughout the constabulary. For the past few days, it had been the topic of conversation during breaks. If one were to write a headline using the style of his previous life, it would read:
**#Shocking! Bronze Gong Xu Qi'an Returns, Duke Wei is Astounded!**
**#What Did the Promising Bronze Gong Do in Yunzhou That Ruined His Life?#**
But now, seeing Xu Qi'an, who had been dead for half a month, striding through the constabulary alive and well, and even waving cheerfully at everyone, the Nightwatchers were left with a flurry of questions.
"In broad daylight, can ghosts really enter our constabulary? And how did someone become so handsome after dying?"
"What do we do? This might be Xu Ningyan's ghost; we can't just attack him, right? It wouldn't be good if his soul was scattered."
"Are you blind? Do ghosts have shadows? That might be Xu Ningyan's brother. Xu Ningyan was never this good-looking."
Amidst the murmurs, Xu Qi'an arrived at the Tower of Noble Spirit, where the guards stared at him in disbelief.
"I need to see Duke Wei. Report to him immediately."
The guard, turning back several times as he went, entered the building. A moment later, he returned and said, "Duke Wei will see you now... Sir Xu, weren't you, weren't you…"
Xu Qi'an touched his face and replied in a rich voice, "I am Xu Qi'an's brother, sent by Duke Wei to take over my brother's duties."
"Oh, I see. May I ask your name, sir?"
"Xu Qian."[^1]
The guard thought to himself, _Why does that sound like a woman's name?_
Outwardly, he respectfully said, "Please, come in."
Upon entering the Tower of Noble Spirit, Xu Qi'an ascended to the tea room on the seventh floor and met with Wei Yuan, whom he hadn’t seen for over a month. Wei Yuan was still dressed in his elegant green robe, his temples tinged with grey, and fine crow's feet at the corners of his eyes. Despite his age, he remained a refined and handsome old gentleman.
*With my looks now, I’ll definitely be no less charming than Wei Yuan when I’m old…* Xu Qi'an thought to himself. He cupped his fists and said loudly, "Subordinate Xu Qi'an pays his respects to Duke Wei."
Wei Yuan seemed momentarily lost in thought but responded warmly, "Sit down."
In an unprecedented gesture, Wei Yuan personally poured him a cup of hot tea and said calmly, "Tell me everything about what happened in Yunzhou."
It was a long story, so Xu Qi'an recounted the events in Yunzhou in detail, including the identities of Li Miaozhen as the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect.
He withheld nothing except for matters concerning the monk Shenshu, which were of too great significance.
Wei Yuan was too perceptive; hiding too much would be easily detected. Moreover, the Grand Eunuch genuinely valued and nurtured him, so Xu Qi'an repaid his kindness with trust.
As expected, after taking a sip of tea, Wei Yuan said, "Yang Qianhuan has been following you throughout."
Xu Qi'an was initially stunned, slightly taken aback. He wasn’t foolish and quickly realized what this might imply. He asked, "Why would Brother Yang be following me?"
"He wouldn't follow you without reason. From what I know of him, apart from indulging in odd and quirky things, he isn’t particularly concerned about anything else," Wei Yuan said with an inscrutable smile. "But what if it was Jianzheng's idea?"
*Jianzheng knows my secret… If it was at his behest, then it makes sense.*
Xu Qi'an discreetly glanced at Wei Yuan, wondering if this highly astute individual had also noticed something.
Wei Yuan didn't dwell on the topic and continued, "As for that third-grade Arcanist, let's temporarily consider him as such. I don’t believe he is Sun Xuanji from the Sitianjian. However, this matter does remind me of something else."
Xu Qi'an perked up, "Please enlighten me, Duke Wei."
*Duke Wei is reliable, unlike Daoist Jinlian, who always speaks in riddles. Wei Yuan almost never withholds anything from me.*
"You're familiar with Chu Caiwei of the Sitianjian, as well as Song Qing. Do you know their true identities?"
"Jianzheng's personal disciples?" Xu Qi'an replied uncertainly.
The White-Robed Arcanists of the Sitianjian weren’t all Jianzheng's disciples. It was similar to the great Confucians at the Cloud Deer Academy who often lectured but had few personal disciples. Song Qing, Chu Caiwei, and Yang Qianhuan were indeed Jianzheng's personal disciples.
"Yang Qianhuan is Jianzheng's third disciple, Song Qing is the fourth, and Chu Caiwei is the sixth. The White-Robed Arcanists refer to her as Little Junior Sister," Wei Yuan explained.
*… What's the problem with that?* Xu Qi'an didn’t understand.
"But Jianzheng only has five personal disciples," Wei Yuan said softly.
… Xu Qi'an's pupils contracted as he finally understood Wei Yuan's implication. Jianzheng had only five disciples, yet Chu Caiwei was the sixth. So where is the missing disciple?
What happened to that disciple?
"Sun Xuanji is the second disciple," Wei Yuan added.
"Then, the identities of the first and fifth disciples remain unknown," Xu Qi'an said.
For a moment, the two men didn't speak, and the tea room fell into a brief silence.
After finishing his cup of tea, Wei Yuan continued, "You woke up at a bad time."
"What do you mean by that, Duke Wei?" Xu Qi'an didn't understand.
"Zhang Xingying submitted a memorial, requesting the court to posthumously honor you. After discussing the matter, His Majesty and the officials decided to grant you the title of Viscount of Changle County. The imperial edict will be issued in a few days."
Wei Yuan sighed, "Now that you're alive, the cabinet will likely revoke the edict, and His Majesty will probably agree."
"That's no big deal. As long as I don't miss out on the reward money, I'm fine," Xu Qi'an said with a shrug.
*Viscount of Changle County—sounds like a junior title… No, a son’s title.*[^2]
*In the future, if I meet an official from Changle County, and they introduce themselves, saying: Hello, I’m xxx from Changle County.*
*And I say: I’m the Viscount of Changle County.*
People unfamiliar with titles might think I'm their son.
Wei Yuan gave him a look, “Money is just an external possession. The significance of a title can't be compared to silver. Even if you become a Silver Gong and hold power, your status won't be high enough to make it to the top. Only a title can truly separate you from the commoners and establish your family among the nobility. If you're ennobled, the Xu family will no longer be ordinary but part of the elite.
"In the future, when you marry, commoner women won't be eligible. Only daughters of noble families will be a match for you."
"Can I marry a princess?" Xu Qi'an asked quietly.
… Wei Yuan nodded, "Theoretically, yes."
A princess could never marry a commoner; her future husband must be a noble. Although a viscount's title isn't high, it's still a title.
"But for some reason, His Majesty doesn't like you. If he doesn’t agree, there's nothing anyone can do," Wei Yuan said, then smiled:
"Fortunately, you're not without merit and still have some room to manoeuvre."
"Please advise me, Duke Wei."
"A few days ago, something major happened in the palace. Consort Fu died unexpectedly, falling from a tower in disarray. At the time, the only person in the room was the Crown Prince, who was drunk. The case is particularly tricky as it concerns the royal family's reputation and involves the potential dethroning of the Crown Prince. The three legal departments are reluctant to get involved and will likely handle it passively."
*Oh holy fuck… The Crown Prince violated the emperor's consort?*
Xu Qi'an shook his head quickly, "Duke Wei, you’re setting me up. How can I meddle in the royal family's scandal?"
"No need to worry," Wei Yuan waved dismissively. "This matter is already known to all the civil and military officials. One more person won’t make a difference. If you can uncover the truth, great. If not, you can just back out."
"If your abilities fall short, at most, you'll receive a minor punishment. Even if His Majesty dislikes you, he can't just execute a viscount. The noble faction wouldn't allow it."
*I see. Duke Wei's advice is to persuade Emperor Yuanjing to grant me the title first. Then, when the time comes, I can claim my abilities are insufficient and bow out.* *At worst, I'll get a minor punishment but still walk away with a title. Duke Wei is… truly cunning (a damn LYB!).*
"The Crown Prince is Princess Lin'an's elder brother," Xu Qi'an suddenly remembered the charming and affectionate little fish he had taken in.
The little queen of the night market must be heartbroken and helpless now.
"You haven't gotten entangled with Princess Lin'an, have you?" Wei Yuan squinted at him.
"No, no," Xu Qi'an quickly shook his head.
Wei Yuan nodded in relief.
…
The Next Day, in the Imperial Study.
"The three-day deadline has passed, and your response to me is simply 'The case is complex with many uncertainties, please may we more time'?"
Emperor Yuanjing furiously slammed several memorials onto the three ministers in front of him.
The memorials submitted by the Chief Justice of the High Court, the Minister of Law, and Wei Yuan were strikingly similar, as if they had copied each other's work—and copied the wrong answers at that.
Emperor Yuanjing was so angry that he pounded the table.
The Minister of Law, feeling ashamed, said, "Your Majesty, this case is filled with doubts and shrouded in mystery. Your servant has already exerted all his efforts. Please grant us a few more days."
The Chief Justice added, "Your lowly servant is incapable and requests to retire to the country."
"You…" Emperor Yuanjing waved his large hand, sweeping all the memorials, inkstones, and brushes off the table, trembling with rage:
"I'll have you all executed."
The three ministers immediately knelt down and cried out, "Your servant's death is of no consequence, but Your Majesty must take care of your dragon body."
_Did they rehearse these lines?_ Emperor Yuanjing was livid.
The other ministers on both sides kept their eyes down, focused on their noses, and those who usually enjoyed arguing with Wei Yuan kept silent.
This case had to be handled, of course, but opinions from different factions had yet to align. The Crown Prince’s supporters were thinking about how to exonerate him, while the other factions were considering which prince should become the future heir if the Crown Prince were deposed.
Though their opinions differed, everyone agreed on one thing: to delay. Consort Fu's death wasn’t the main issue; the real concern was the battle for the imperial succession that would follow this case.
It was a conflict that promised to be as bloody and tumultuous as the imperial evaluation.
Each clique needed time to deliberate, to take sides, and to make arrangements.
In such a situation where the court's objectives were aligned, even Emperor Yuanjing could do nothing but seethe with impotent rage, unless he decided to ignore the truth and deposed the Crown Prince on the spot—but that would most likely be rejected by the cabinet.
"Your Majesty, please calm yourself. This minister has something to report." Prime Minister Wang stepped forward, casually setting aside the case of Consort Fu and said, "According to what this minister has learned, the Bronze Gong of the Nightwatchers, Xu Qi'an, did not die. He strangely revived yesterday, so the matter of his ennoblement should be revoked."
The Imperial Study filled with the murmurs of ministers.
_That Bronze Gong surnamed Xu is still alive?_ The Chief Justice and the Minister of Law had mixed feelings.
Emperor Yuanjing was momentarily stunned, then he suppressed his anger, turned to Wei Yuan, and asked in a deep voice, "Lord Wei, is the Prime Minister's statement true?"
"It is indeed true," Wei Yuan replied with a bow.
Immediately, one of the Censors stepped forward and loudly said, "Zhang Xingying falsely reported the case, deceiving His Majesty. Please, Your Majesty, punish him."
Emperor Yuanjing ignored this and continued looking at Wei Yuan, asking, "Why is this?"
"Xu Qi'an did not die. Before engaging the rebel forces, he took the Sitianjian's Pill of Rebirth. After exhausting his strength, he fell into a state of feigned death and only awoke yesterday. Zhang Xingying mistakenly believed Xu Qi'an had died, so he cannot be blamed," Wei Yuan explained.
_Pill of Rebirth…_ Emperor Yuanjing felt as if he had swallowed a fly. He had once asked Jianzheng for this pill, but Jianzheng refused, claiming it was no longer available.
Yet now, a mere Bronze Gong had managed to obtain this rare and miraculous elixir.
"How did he acquire such an elixir?" Emperor Yuanjing's lips twitched.
"It was a gift from Chu Caiwei of the Sitianjian," Wei Yuan replied.
Emperor Yuanjing pondered for a few seconds, then slowly nodded, "The ennoblement is to be revoked. Also, summon Bronze Gong Xu Qi'an to see me immediately."
Wei Yuan nodded calmly and bowed, "As you command."
…
Xu Qi'an received the summons and, by late morning, was galloping towards the palace. After the Huben Guards confirmed his identity, he was allowed inside.
Inside the palace gates, Wei Yuan, clad in a blue robe, stood with his hands behind his back, waiting with Nangong Qianrou by his side.
Xu Qi'an hurried forward and called out, "Duke Wei."
Wei Yuan nodded, "His Majesty has summoned you regarding Consort Fu’s case." He paused, then added meaningfully, "The ennoblement has been revoked."
_They really revoked it, huh?_ *The news had been out for three days, and they still managed to pull it back.* _How irregular…_ Xu Qi'an grumbled internally but said aloud, "I understand."
Following Wei Yuan into the Imperial Study, they found that Emperor Yuanjing was not there. An elderly eunuch in a robe with a python design said, "His Majesty is meditating at Lingbao Temple with the National Teacher. He will return after noon; please wait."
This wait lasted for two hours.
---
At Lingbao Temple, after finishing his meditation, a refreshed Emperor Yuanjing opened his eyes and sighed, "National Teacher, when will I be able to form my Golden Core?"
Beneath her robe, which couldn't fully conceal her voluptuous figure, the enchantingly beautiful Luo Yuheng kept her eyes closed and replied in a melodious and magnetic voice, "Your Majesty will achieve it soon, as long as you can set aside worldly affairs and devote yourself to cultivation."
Emperor Yuanjing stared at the breathtakingly beautiful Daoist nun before him. Her features were stunning, with an allure that could captivate any soul. The vermilion mark on her forehead only enhanced her ethereal presence—an immortal, yet one who could be defiled.
Emperor Yuanjing sighed again. Actually, all it would take for him to progress was dual cultivation, but even as an emperor, he couldn't force the leader of the Human Sect’s hand.
Not only was she a second-rank master, but even if he could overpower her with force, dual cultivation required mutual alignment of techniques, which couldn’t be achieved by force.
"When will the National Teacher reach the first rank?" Emperor Yuanjing asked.
Luo Yuheng gently shook her head.
"Sigh, Jianzheng's intentions are becoming harder for me to understand. I once asked him for the Pill of Rebirth, and he refused, yet today I find that even a mere Bronze Gong can enjoy this miraculous medicine."
Luo Yuheng opened her eyes and curiously asked, "A Bronze Gong?"
Emperor Yuanjing waved dismissively, "This person is of no consequence. I’ll return to the palace first. Tomorrow, I’ll come again to meditate and seek enlightenment with the National Teacher."
After returning to the palace and learning that Xu Qi'an had been waiting in the Imperial Study, Emperor Yuanjing still did not go there immediately. Instead, after a thorough bath, he finally made his way to the study.
Inside the Imperial Study.
Xu Qi'an called out loudly, "Your lowly subordinate pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Emperor Yuanjing stared at him sharply. Without mentioning the Pill of Rebirth or praising the Bronze Gong’s contributions in Yunzhou, he went straight to the point:
"A few days ago, Consort Fu fell from a tower to her death. There are hidden truths behind this case. I give you three days to uncover them. If you fail, you will be severely punished."
Xu Qi'an immediately bowed deeply, bending at a ninety-degree angle, and shouted, "Your Majesty, please grant me death."
---
[^1]: Qian 倩, one syllable, “graceful”, incidentally the same Qian in Nangong Qianrou. Contrast with Qi’an 七安, two syllables.
[^2]: The rank of viscount, fourth in Chinese nobility, is the same word as “son”: 子