# 272. Another Purse
The guard did not respond, his face showing hesitation.
He was just a small guard, how could he dare to interfere in palace matters?
Xu Qi'an did not press further, glancing around before asking, "Zhongli?"
"I understand, I'll head back to the Sitianjian first," Zhongli peeked out from behind the wall and obediently said.
"Will... anything happen on your way back?" Xu Qi'an asked.
"Let's, let's leave it to fate," Zhongli stammered nervously.
The guard scrutinized the woman in a linen robe with dishevelled hair, sensing a pitiable aura that made her seem particularly endearing.
_Clip-clop, clip-clop..._
Soon, a Bronze Gong returned with a small mare. Xu Qi'an patted the mare's mane, and she snorted and nudged her owner.
"Let me give you a blessing," Xu Qi'an said, patting Zhongli's head.
She had made several solo trips back to the Sitianjian before without incident. Xu Qi'an estimated that while minor trouble might arise, nothing major would occur. After all, the Sitianjian wasn’t far from here—perhaps only half an hour's ride.
Mounting his beloved mare, Xu Qi'an rode alongside the guard from Shaoyin Courtyard and headed toward the imperial city.
The guard swung his whip to clear the way, occasionally glancing at Silver Gong Xu. This favoured attendant of the Princess showed no expression, his gaze focused on the road ahead. Though he was silent, there was a certain gravity between his brows.
*Emperor Yuanjing's harem must be in utter chaos. The Empress, seeking to avenge her brother’s death, would not spare Noble Consort Chen—no, now it was just Consort Chen. And the latter had long harboured deep resentment toward the Empress, treating her as a sworn enemy for many years...*
*Dammit, why do I, a lowly Silver Gong, have to worry about Emperor Yuanjing's family matters? It’s all because your daughters are so beautiful,* Xu Qi'an cursed internally.
They galloped swiftly into the imperial city, where they were stopped by the Yulin Guards at the palace gate. While the Princess’s guard was allowed to enter as part of their normal duties, he did not have the authority to bring people in.
Xu Qi'an presented the jade token that Biaobiao had given him earlier, and immediately, one of the Yulin Guards came over to lead him inside.
According to palace protocol, when an outsider was summoned to the palace, a Yulin Guard had to accompany them to ensure they didn’t wander.
The journey was silent as they passed through palace gates, crossed squares, and walked through palace walls until they finally arrived at Shaoyin Courtyard, where Lin'an resided.
The Yulin Guard waited outside the courtyard, while Biaobiao’s personal guards led Xu Qi'an inside. After crossing the front yard, they entered the reception hall, where he saw Lin'an.
Second Princess Lin'an was still in her intricate red gown, her hair adorned with elaborate gold hairpins, agate clasps, and even a small phoenix coronet that was not entirely proper according to palace rules.
Her round, delicate face and charming peach-blossom eyes were expressionless as she sat there, resembling an Eastern version of a finely crafted Lolita doll.
Seeing that she was unharmed, Xu Qi'an exhaled silently. "Your Highness, what’s wrong?"
Lin'an waved her hand to dismiss the guards and handmaidens, leaving only Xu Qi'an.
Biaobiao stared at him for a moment, then suddenly burst into tears, her voice full of grievance as she sobbed, "Huaiqing wants to kill me!"
*... I think I understand now!* Xu Qi'an sighed.
*I knew it—Lin'an, being Emperor Yuanjing’s most beloved daughter, wouldn’t have any real danger. It turns out this so-called life-threatening crisis was just this.*
"You went to provoke the Eldest Princess again, didn’t you?"
While crying, Biaobiao glared at him. "What do you mean _I_ went to provoke her? You need to explain yourself!"
Xu Qi'an rephrased, "Did Second Princess go to uphold justice with Princess Huaiqing again?"
Biaobiao gave a firm "hmm," sniffled, and said, "The Empress, that wicked woman, wants to kill mother consort. I went to confront Huaiqing, but who would have thought she’s heartless too? She even hit me."
"Hit you?" Xu Qi'an frowned, scrutinizing Lin'an. "Where?"
"She whipped me with a cane."
Biaobiao rolled up her sleeve, revealing a section of her pale, tender arm. Two faint whip marks marred her snowy skin.
"Outrageous!"
Xu Qi'an was furious, shaking his head in anger like a hero lamenting the injustice of the world. _The shame of Lin'an remains unavenged, how could this minister's wrath ever subside?_
"Your Highness, rest assured. I will seek justice for you. I will not spare Huaiqing."
"There's no need for you to act..."
Seeing Xu Qi'an’s righteous fury and a demeanor of loyalty that suggested he would die for her honor, Biaobiao was moved. She said, "After all, Huaiqing is still a princess. If you attack her privately, the palace guards will shoot you down."
*Thank heavens, Your Highness, your intelligence is still intact...* Xu Qi'an shook his head and said gravely, "If a single hair of yours were harmed, it would be an unbearable humiliation to me. Even if it costs me my life, I must seek revenge on Huaiqing."
Biaobiao slowly nodded, sniffled, and said, "I summoned you to the palace today precisely for this matter. I’ve been thinking: at the time, I could have resisted, I could have scratched Huaiqing’s face. But I hesitated. Upon reflection, it must be because I lacked a capable bodyguard. You’ll come with me to Huaiqing's Chunteng Courtyard again."
... Xu Qi'an's expression froze, feeling like he had just shot himself in the foot.
_Cough cough!_
He cleared his throat. "Your Highness, please calm down and tell me what happened, so I can consider the situation carefully."
*Consider how to quietly slip away...* he thought to himself.
Biaobiao then recounted, in great detail, the harem’s infighting after the conclusion of the Consort Fu case.
As expected, the Empress despised Noble Consort Chen, constantly finding fault with her. It was only now that everyone realized the Empress was truly skilled in the eighteen arts of palace scheming—she just hadn’t had the opportunity to use them before.
Every day, at the break of dawn, the Empress summoned Consort Chen to pay her respects and mercilessly criticized her, instructing her maids to "rebuke" her, making her the laughingstock of the palace.
There were also kneeling punishments, and corporal punishment using the rattan rod.
"Do you think the Empress is venomous?" Biaobiao pounded the table in fury as she spoke of her hatred.
*Your mother killed her brother, of course the Empress would want revenge... though the Imperial Uncle deserved his fate.* Xu Qi'an frowned. "Is there more?"
"Of course! Just yesterday, my mother suddenly got poisoned and was on the verge of death. The servants from Jinxiu Palace rushed to call for an imperial physician, but who would’ve guessed? The imperial physician was taken away by servants from Fengqi Palace."
"What? What happened then?" Xu Qi'an was shocked.
Biaobiao still had lingering fear as she said, "Fortunately, my mother had antidote pills stored in her palace. That’s the only reason she survived."
Xu Qi'an let out a meaningful "oh."
The poisoning must have been a ruse by Consort Chen, intended to frame the Empress. But the Empress, grieving for her brother, chose to retaliate head-on by intercepting the imperial physician, forcing Consort Chen to resort to her own antidotes.
"What did His Majesty think of all this?" he asked.
"Father didn’t say anything." Biaobiao frowned, snorting with frustration to express her dissatisfaction.
*Hmm, Emperor Yuanjing must be well aware of everything. He’s just letting them fight it out... though perhaps it's not entirely accurate to say he's doing nothing—at least I don’t see any signs of Duke Wei's involvement. If he had intervened, Consort Chen might already be done for.*
Xu Qi'an speculated that Emperor Yuanjing had probably issued a private warning to Wei Yuan.
_My women fighting each other is my business. You, an outsider, are not to interfere!_
Xu Qi'an thought Emperor Yuanjing was a scoundrel. Compared to that man, he felt much better about himself, since he was actively dealing with the back palace's firestorm.
After mulling it over for a moment, Xu Qi'an cautiously asked, "Why is the Empress targeting Consort Chen? Does Your Highness know?"
Biaobiao pretended not to hear, her eyes flickering with a trace of sadness.
Xu Qi'an understood and sighed inwardly.
"Let’s go. I’m going to teach Huaiqing a lesson."
With that, Lin'an pulled a rattan cane from under the desk.
_You were already prepared!!_ Xu Qi'an was dumbfounded.
"Your Highness, please calm down..."
Just as he was about to persuade her, Lin'an pouted and glared at him. "I know your heart sides with Huaiqing."
"Nonsense!"
Xu Qi'an reacted dramatically, pounding his chest. "Let’s go, then!"
The two of them, along with their maids and guards, stormed toward Huaiqing's Chunteng Courtyard.
In the warm morning sunlight, trees sprouted new buds. Princess Huaiqing, dressed in a simple palace gown, sat in a pavilion, holding a scroll in her hands. Her back was graceful, her posture upright, and her black hair contrasted with her white dress, giving off an air of elegant scholarly grace.
Xu Qi'an and Lin'an marched up with fierce determination, but the serene Princess Huaiqing seemed oblivious, engrossed in her reading. In a cool tone, she gave orders to her guards:
"If any idle people disturb my reading, kill them without mercy."
Several guards, their hands resting on their swords, stepped forward, matching Lin'an’s intensity. They dared not lay a hand on the princess but shifted their hostility to Xu Qi'an, making it clear that he was an expendable target.
Xu Qi'an immediately halted his steps.
Seeing him forced to retreat, Lin'an lost half her courage. Without her lackey to back her up, she definitely wouldn't dare challenge Huaiqing on her own.
Pointing her cane at Huaiqing, Lin'an shouted, “Huaiqing, get out here!
“Huaiqing, come out right now!
"You shameless Huaiqing, if you have the guts, come and face me!"
Huaiqing paid no attention whatsoever, continuing to read her book with evident enjoyment.
A quarter of an hour later, Lin'an and Xu Qi'an slinked away, tails between their legs.
Glancing back at Lin'an, who was grinding her teeth in frustration, Xu Qi'an sighed and said, "Let it go, Your Highness. The gap is too big."
The gap in intelligence was simply too vast.
With just a simple command, Huaiqing had already broken the confrontation.
*It’s probably for the best, sparing me an awkward situation… Huaiqing is really my protective little shield, helping me resolve this situation… but actually hitting Lin’an might be a little far…* Xu Qi’an thought appreciatively.
Lin'an, however, was not satisfied, stamping her feet in frustration, her bright red dress swishing in agitation.
After escorting Lin'an back to Shaoyin Courtyard, playing a few rounds of Five-in-a-Row with her, and telling her some stories, Xu Qi'an finally excused himself near midday.
As an official from outside the palace and Lin'an being an unmarried princess, he couldn’t linger too long, much less dine with her.
"Next time, I’ll summon you to the palace again," Lin'an said.
She couldn’t frequently call an external official to the palace either, as that could spark rumors.
Exiting the palace gate, Xu Qi'an retrieved his mare from the Yulin Guards and rode her out of the city with a clip-clop.
*The conflict between the Empress and Consort Chen is clearly irreconcilable. Consort Chen, unable to defeat the Empress on her own, will undoubtedly incite Lin'an, using her as a tool against the Empress.*
*According to Huaiqing, Lin'an was even more foolish in her younger years. Whenever Consort Chen pointed, Lin'an would charge in that direction. If Huaiqing didn't retaliate, she would only get bullied; but if she fought back, Lin'an would end up getting beaten. And this was precisely what Consort Chen enjoyed seeing.*
*Because Lin'an is favoured, if she gets bullied, Emperor Yuanjing won’t stand idly by... If Lin'an gets bullied again, today’s situation is bound to repeat itself.*
*As a king of the sea, I can’t let the situation get out of hand. I need to think of a solution... think of a way...*
Even after returning to the Nightwatchers Constabulary, Xu Qi'an had yet to come up with a solution. Frustrated, he smacked the mare’s flank. It was all her fault for trotting so bouncily, preventing him from settling his thoughts.
After lunch, Xu Qi'an took two Bronze Gongs with him to patrol the outer city. The distance was too great to walk, so they had to ride.
Xu Qi'an was most familiar with the southern city, where his family’s old residence was located. There was also a welfare hall here, Number Six Hengyuan’s turf.
*Sigh, I wonder when my ‘European emperor luck’ will return. I still have to regularly send silver to Master Hengyuan for his charity work...*
With that thought, Xu Qi'an felt even more dejected.
...
The white marble arena in the southern part of the city was built in the plaza by the river. In just two or three days, the surface of the arena was already pockmarked with countless footprints from duels and cracks left by slashes of blades and strikes of axes.
On the stage, two jianghu folk were engaged in a fierce fight. One was a burly, muscular man wielding an iron staff, while the other was a young swordsman with decent looks.
The two exchanged blows with great enthusiasm, much to the delight of the spectators.
A crowd had gathered around the stage, including curious onlookers and some more experienced martial artists.
Regarding weapons, ordinary martial artists would have to hand over their weapons when entering the city. The constabulary would issue a voucher, which could be used to retrieve their weapons when leaving. However, since the arenas appeared, the constabulary relaxed this rule. Martial artists wanting to fight could request their weapons back, but they were required to return them the next day or be wanted city wide.
For young heroes and heroines from prestigious sects, their sect’s endorsement allowed them to keep their weapons, but if they committed crimes, the sect would be held responsible.
Xu Qi'an scanned the area but didn’t spot any particularly outstanding heroines.
"Sir Xu, the people watching out here are just commoners. Those with status are watching from the nearby teahouses and taverns," explained one of the Bronze Gongs.
_You’re quite knowledgeable, little brother…_ Xu Qi'an glanced at the nearby teahouses and taverns and saw that many spectators were indeed watching from the second-floor balconies.
"Let’s go. We’ll find ourselves a tavern as well... that one over there will do," Xu Qi'an said, spotting an especially beautiful heroine.
Just as he was about to take a step forward, his foot hit something hard. Looking down, he saw a small purse.
The purse was light green, embroidered with matching patterns and a delicate orchid, exuding a faint, fragrant scent. It was clearly a woman’s personal item.
“Huh?”
Xu Qi'an paused in surprise. _Wasn’t my money-finding buff 404ed by that old Jianzheng?_
"Wow, it feels pretty heavy too."
With a smile, Xu Qi'an pocketed the pouch. He then noticed a child nearby staring at him, clearly upset that someone else had found the pouch first.
"What are you looking at? Whose child are you?" Xu Qi'an raised his hand as if to hit him. The child, frightened, immediately turned and ran.
Xu Qi'an burst out laughing. _You’re way too timid. I was planning to buy you a candied hawthorn stick._
Entering the tavern, Xu Qi'an found a table on the second floor and ordered food and drinks. He wasn’t interested in the fight on the stage, so he narrowed his eyes and began to size up the heroine at the next table.
She wore a pink gauze dress that revealed her fair neck and delicate collarbone. The thin fabric accentuated her impressive chest. Her clothing was bold, her makeup elaborate, with bright red lips and large almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with life. Though her features were naturally beautiful, it was her seductive charm that truly captured men’s attention.
If Biaobiao was a dignified little queen of the club, this woman was the true queen of the club.
The seductive woman noticed Xu Qi'an’s brazen stare but wasn’t angered. Instead, she threw him a flirtatious glance, causing the young men at her table to look over.
Seeing that Xu Qi'an wore the Nightwatcher’s uniform, they quickly pretended nothing had happened and turned their heads back.
The waiter arrived, bringing dishes like beef, peanuts, lamb, and a jar of fine wine.
"Sirs, here’s your food and drink. Enjoy."
"Waiter, bring a jar of your finest 82-year-old Lafite to that table. It’s on me." Xu Qi'an winked at the seductive woman.
The waiter looked confused, not understanding the reference.
"A jar of Chunyi Nong," Xu Qi'an corrected himself, naming the most expensive wine in the tavern.
"Right away."
Noticing Xu Qi'an’s interaction with the "goddess," the young men at her table grew jealous but didn’t dare challenge the Nightwatcher. Instead, they took it out on the waiter.
"Waiter, we’ll have five more pounds of beef."
"I’m sorry, but we don’t have that much left."
"Why do they get two pounds, but we only get one pound with so many of us?"
Beef was a luxury item in this era, usually coming from old or sick cows that had to be slaughtered with official approval. The tavern had limited stock, and Xu Qi'an’s table had already ordered two pounds.
The waiter rolled his eyes and said with the typical arrogance of a capital native, "They’re officials. You clearly didn’t check the mirror before leaving home this morning."
"..."
The two Bronze Gongs burst into laughter. "These guys are such fools."
Just then, Xu Qi'an noticed a woman climbing the stairs. She scanned the room and walked straight toward him, glaring down at him with fury in her eyes.
"Return my purse."
...