Xu Erlang, who was rather thin-skinned, glanced at his elder brother, then at his father, and could not help twitching the corners of his mouth several times.
In the scalp-numbing awkwardness, Xu Qi’an cleared his throat and said,
“What a delicious smell, I seem to smell Lingyue’s cooking.
“Second Uncle, let’s not rest until we’re drunk tonight.”
The awkward atmosphere was broken. The three men tacitly hid the bag of green oranges at their sides and pretended not to see it.
During the process, Xu Qi’an glanced at Erlang. Xu Erlang’s expression did not change. He had already concealed his earlier embarrassment.
Erlang’s matured a lot in these two years. I still remember how when the family discovered him reciting poetry and trying to hang himself, the embarrassment nearly killed him on the spot anyway… Xu Qi’an reminisced, sighing in his heart.
The three men entered the residence and headed straight for the inner hall.
The inner hall was brightly lit with candles, icicles hanging from the eaves, and the aroma of food drifting from the open door.
Many servants were coming and going in the inner courtyard, and there were a few more lively, pretty handmaidens than before.
In the month he had been away from the capital, the Xu residence had bought quite a few more servants.
“Plenty of people in the capital have frozen to death this winter. Our household happened to be short-handed, so your Auntie had the steward go to the broker’s to buy some servants, at least giving them a way to survive,” said Second Uncle Xu.
Xu Qi’an nodded. Although Auntie was petty, cared about appearances, fancied herself a little celestial maiden and had plenty of faults, she was, after all, a pampered woman with nothing to worry about, who never needed to scheme for favour. Such a person could not be truly unkind.
Lin’an was another example. Thanks also to Emperor Yuanjing’s many years of Daoist practice, the palace lacked an environment for plotting. If Lin’an had lived in such an atmosphere for long, she might not have remained so naive and kind-hearted.
“In a year of calamity, some things are unavoidable.” Xu Qi’an turned his head and sized up Xu Xinnian, then joked,
“Why didn’t Auntie buy a concubine for Erlang?”
Second Uncle Xu laughed, “Erlang will be engaged to the Prime Minister’s daughter in two months. Your Auntie wouldn’t dare offend the Prime Minister’s precious daughter.”
Xu Xinnian frowned, slightly annoyed at the teasing from his father and brother.
As they chatted, the three entered the inner hall. Braziers had been set up in the four corners for warmth. The table was piled high with food, delicacies from both land and sea, which was clearly not the household’s usual fare.
Auntie and Lingyue sat by the tea table. Xu Lingyin and Lina were at the dining table, staring eagerly at the food.
“Lingyin, don’t even think about sneaking food. We’ll eat when your big brother gets back,” Auntie warned.
“Okay~”
Xu Lingyin knelt on the stool, her little hands pressed to the table’s edge. She reluctantly withdrew her gaze and looked out of the main hall, just in time to see the three men returning.
“Big Brother!”
Little Pea shouted with surprising vigour, leaped off the stool, hands stuck to her waist, arms thrown wide behind her as she charged forward with head down, full of fiery energy.
Xu Pingzhi and Xu Xinnian simultaneously sidestepped out of her way.
Little Pea crashed straight into Xu Qi’an’s arms.
What strength… He was taken aback, examining his little sister. She had not changed much in the month or so since he’d last seen her, if anything, her face had grown rounder.
Like a plump red apple.
This showed that Little Pea’s blood and qi were thriving.
Based on her headlong charge just now, Xu Qi’an estimated at a glance that her physical strength was now at ninth rank Refining Vitality.
That’s terrifying. When I was her age I couldn’t even squat stably… Xu Qi’an was inwardly astonished.
He patted Xu Lingyin’s head and glanced at the three women in the hall.
He had already seen Xu Lingyue, and Lina’s complexion had grown a bit fairer, but the biggest change was in Auntie: her features were beautiful and refined, her skin was healthy and porcelain white. Judging by her face alone, she did not look like a woman who had borne three children.
It must be the Rejuvenation Pills Chu Caiwei had given her. The effects really are remarkable. If I’d had something like that in my previous life, I’d have made a fortune, but there’s no going back… he thought regretfully.
Auntie and Lingyue came over. Auntie scanned her nephew from head to toe, confirmed that he was all in one piece, then raised her chin slightly and said loftily,
“You’re back!”
She suddenly sniffed, frowned delicately and said, “The smell of green orange again? And so strong?”
Second Uncle Xu quickly pulled out the green oranges and replied with a straight face,
“Green oranges are good for coughs. I bought them for Lingyin. I ate one on the way, that’s why I smell of it.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Lingyin’s little face instantly fell.
Second Uncle Xu glared, “Why are you just standing there? Quickly, come and take them.”
Xu Lingyin’s two pale eyebrows knitted together as she hugged the bag of green oranges.
She looked at her father, then at the green oranges in her arms. She searched inside with her stubby fingers, there were only four. She felt she could manage that.
Her two little eyebrows relaxed.
“Ahem!”
Xu Erlang cleared his throat, then pulled out a bag wrapped in oiled paper from behind him, handing it to Xu Lingyin.
“Second Brother was worried about your cough too…”
Xu Lingyin froze. Xu Qi’an felt as if he could see a string of question marks above her head.
Having neatly palmed off responsibility onto the child, Xu Pingzhi and Xu Xinnian sat happily at the table.
Xu Lingyin’s eyes welled up, on the verge of tears.
Xu Qi’an could not bear it and said,
“Lingyin, Big Brother has brought you a gift this time.”
Little Pea instantly beamed, her smile as radiant as the sun breaking through snowclouds. She forgot all her troubles and piped up,
“Where’s the gift, Big Brother, where is it?”
Xu Qi’an immediately produced the green oranges hidden behind his back and placed them in her arms.
Xu Lingyin—obtained [green orange x3].
The poor little child was completely stunned, she had never imagined her father and brothers would treat her like this.
Suddenly, Little Pea burst into tears:
“I don’t want oranges, I don’t want oranges…”
Xu Erlang, having washed his hands of the matter, said breezily,
“If you don’t want them, just throw them away.”
Throw them away… Hearing this, Little Pea howled even louder.
She would never throw food away… While she was thinking this, Xu Erlang picked up some winter bamboo shoots.
She would eat them, however horrible they tasted… Second Uncle took a swig of wine.
Second Uncle and Erlang are both heartless, tsk… Xu Qi’an served Auntie some food and said, “Remember to make sure she brushes her teeth properly.”
…
After a few rounds of drinks, Second Uncle Xu picked up a piece of pig’s head, chewed it slowly and swallowed it down, then poured his son a cup of wine and said in a low voice:
“They’re all saying out there that it was you who gave His Majesty the idea and called for donations?”
Xu Xinnian grunted in response and explained:
“Actually, the best method would be confiscation, but Emperor Yongxing has only just ascended the throne and his position isn’t secure yet. So a milder approach has to be taken.
“At first, he disagreed with the idea of calling for donations, because any action he takes during his rise to the throne will be magnified and overanalysed by the officials below.
“If he wants to firmly secure the dragon throne, it’s best to do nothing, and wait until his wings are fully spread before taking decisive action.
“Unfortunately, things rarely go as one wishes.”
Xu Pingzhi shook his head, stared at Erlang and said:
“I don’t understand much of that, son. But today I heard a colleague say something.”
He paused, then said gravely:
“Whoever dares ask me for money, I’ll hack the bastard to death… Erlang, that was said for my ears.
“If this isn’t handled well, your prospects will be ruined. With Prime Minister Wang as your backer, things may not go that far, but you’ll be left on the cold bench for years.”
Xu Xinnian’s expression was sombre: “I understand.”
Auntie and Xu Lingyue rarely went out and had no way of hearing any news, so they didn’t know what was happening.
Matters of officialdom were also inconvenient to pry into, so the mother and daughter exchanged a glance, frowning as they ate, listening intently.
Xu Xinnian continued:
“But isn’t Big Brother back? With Big Brother here, father, what are you worrying about?”
Auntie and Xu Lingyue relaxed their brows and ate with ease.
Xu Qi’an then asked:
“What’s the situation at court now?”
Xu Xinnian thought for a moment, then said slowly:
“The Wang Clique now dominates. In terms of the Wei Clique, the Left Censor-in-Chief is in charge of the Nightwatcher’s Constabulary. The other cliques are just the same as before.
“To maintain stability, the Prime Minister hasn’t taken advantage of the new emperor’s ascension to launch a large-scale purge of rivals. It’s just as well that he didn’t, otherwise, the court would be a mess and so would the common folk.
“Moreover, even though Emperor Yongxing relies on the Prime Minister, he’s no fool. If the Prime Minister started purging rivals, the emperor would never allow it.”
Xu Qi’an teased with a smile:
“Why haven’t you started calling him father-in-law yet?”
Xu Xinnian shot back, “Because I’m a proper man, unlike you, Big Brother.”
The brothers glanced in tacit understanding at the green oranges in front of Xu Lingyin, and dropped the subject.
Xu Qi’an continued, “About the donations, how did the court respond?”
“It’s caused public outrage,” Xu Xinnian sneered.
“Very few support it, many are on the fence. There’s no end of people attacking me with words and writing.”
Second Uncle Xu added, “Erlang is now like a rat on the street, everyone who meets him hurls abuse.”
Xu Xinnian snorted coldly:
“If it was just abuse, fine. But some are taking the chance to kick me while I’m down and want to impeach me. If calling for donations gets no result, I’ll be held responsible as the one who proposed it.
“I may even be demoted and sent out of the capital.”
Auntie reacted strongly and cried immediately:
“Then I’d rather you resign than leave the capital! It’s so chaotic now, I’ve heard there are refugees and bandits everywhere.”
This is the flaw of a family-run empire! The court belongs to the royal family, but my money is my own. Today I’m here, tomorrow the emperor could have my head. Expecting me to bankrupt myself to fill the treasury, what a ridiculous dream… Xu Qi’an sighed inwardly.
He thought for a moment and asked, “Are there any detailed rules?”
Xu Xinnian nodded:
“Of course. Officials of each rank have a minimum donation requirement, which is calculated according to their salary. This will prevent officials from harassing others for money during enforcement and lining their own pockets.
“In addition, I suggested that His Majesty erect a merit monument at the Imperial Academy and in the academies of all the prefectures and counties, for all scholars under heaven to admire.
“And then…”
He prattled on for a long time, until Xu Qi’an waved his hand.
“Just tell me, what do you want me to do?”
Xu Xinnian said, “We’ll discuss it in the study later.”
With business paused, Xu Qi’an turned to the little dark-skinned girl from the Southern Marches, planning to eat and drink heartily. He asked:
“Lina, how much do you know about the Sevenfold Gu?”
Lina’s cheeks bulged as she struggled to swallow her food:
“The Sevenfold Gu was left behind by Heaven Gu Grandma’s husband, the Heaven Gu Elder. When the Heaven Gu Elder left the shaman clans, the Sevenfold Gu hadn’t yet been fully refined. Heaven Gu Grandma finished it for him.”
“And then?”
“Then she gave me the Sevenfold Gu and sent me to the capital to look for someone destined for it.”
That much I already knew… Xu Qi’an thought and asked, “Apart from this, do you know anything else?”
Lina started eating again, “Nope, that’s all.”
Xu Qi’an frowned. “The Sevenfold Gu allows one to wield all seven Gu arts at the same time, don’t you think that’s odd? Did the shaman clans have anything like that before?”
Lina nodded earnestly, “It is odd!”
Xu Qi’an said, “Then why don’t you investigate?”
Lina looked at him and asked in return:
“Why should I?
“There are so many things I can’t figure out. If I had to investigate everything, wouldn’t that be exhausting?
“Right, Lingyin?”
Xu Qi’an was full of criticism but unable to argue.
Little Pea nodded vigorously, “Yes, Master!”
She took the chance to drag her master in to share the pressure, “Master, help me eat these oranges!”
Lina shook her head firmly, “Go ask Sister Caiwei at the Sitianjian.”
“Then do you think there’s a connection between the Sevenfold Gu and the Gu God?” Xu Qi’an brought the topic back.
“All Gu are connected to the Gu God.”
Lina showed an unusually serious expression. “As the Gu God sleeps in the Abyss, its power changed the Southern Marches. Creatures who absorbed the power leaked by the Gu God mutated, and that’s how Gu came to be.”
Xu Qi’an nodded. “I’ve heard you say that. That’s the source of the seven major Gu arts.”
“Yes. Different creatures absorbed different powers and underwent different mutations. Occasionally, there are creatures or shamans who have double Gu arts, but only the Gu God possesses all seven.”
Lina explained.
Only the Gu God… Xu Qi’an suddenly felt his scalp tingle.
…
The same dusk, the sunset red as blood.
A luxurious golden nanmu carriage, wheels rumbling rhythmically, rolled into the imperial palace.
Lin’an, with a gloomy look, stepped down with a small footstool, wrapped in a fox-fur cloak. Led by an eunuch, she entered the imperial study.
Emperor Yongxing, head lowered working through state affairs, said irritably:
“What’s so good in the Sitianjian, to make Princess Lin’an so enamoured?”
Lin’an replied angrily, “There’s nothing to be enamoured with, I just didn’t want to return to the palace. I slept all day.”
Emperor Yongxing raised his head, put down the memorial and said:
“We were waiting for your news.”
“He’s agreed,” Lin’an replied concisely.
“We knew it, if you, Lin’an, stepped in, he wouldn’t refuse for sure.” Emperor Yongxing laughed heartily.
Lin’an didn’t linger, and took her leave.
Emperor Yongxing watched her step over the threshold and walk down the steps into the distance. He took a long breath and clenched his fist in excitement.
On the desk lay a thick stack of impeachment memorials against Xu Xinnian.
…
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