“Silver’s a small matter!”
Li Lingsu tapped the table with a finger and let out a sly chuckle. “Xu Ningyan’s wedding is the real highlight. Think about it, who is his dual cultivation partner?”
“The National Teacher,” Yang Qianhuan replied without a second thought.
The matter of Xu Ningyan and Luo Yuheng becoming dual cultivation partners wasn’t a secret among the upper ranks of the Great Feng. If not for that relationship, during the Yunzhou rebellion the National Teacher would’ve already left the capital with the Human Sect disciples.
After all, the Human Sect wasn’t the same as the Sitianjian. The Sitianjian was part of the court, while the Human Sect merely had a cooperative relationship with it.
Who’d throw away their life and shed blood for a business partner?
The National Teacher certainly wouldn’t have wanted to either. She hadn’t done it for the Great Feng, but for that man surnamed Xu.
Yang Qianhuan didn’t know what rumours were circulating outside about this matter, but he did know that the Arcanists of the Sitianjian often sighed over how blessed that Xu was in love. And the sworn brother at his side would gnash his teeth in anguish whenever the matter was mentioned.
Yang Qianhuan didn’t quite understand it. No matter how beautiful a woman was, she was still just a painted skeleton. What was there to admire?
On this point, Song Qing, who was obsessed with life alchemy, fully agreed with Yang Qianhuan.
“Luo Yuheng is the Daoist Leader of the Human Sect, a first rank Earthly Immortal. Could she endure serving one husband alongside other women?” Li Lingsu said with a grin.
“And besides Luo Yuheng, the former princess consort of Zhenbei King, the Great Feng’s number one beauty, Mu Nanzhi, has a thing going with that Xu fellow as well. Also, though as her senior brother I’m unwilling to admit it, Miaozhen and Xu Ningyan most likely have feelings for each other too.
“What does Brother Yang think the scene will be like on Xu Ningyan’s wedding day?”
At those words, Yang Qianhuan was instantly invigorated, then immediately shook his head.
“Xu Ningyan isn’t what he used to be. What’s marrying Lin’an to him now? Even if he took three wives and four concubines, I’m afraid the National Teacher would only turn a blind eye.”
Li Lingsu shook his head.
“No, no, no, you don’t understand Luo Yuheng. Judging by my vast experience with women, whether it’s the National Teacher or the princess consort, both are proud and lofty women. They’d never swallow humiliation and make do. Besides, even in the inner household of an ordinary wealthy family, there are already blades in the shadows and open and covert struggles, let alone among women like them.”
He took a noisy slurp from his teacup, waggled his brows, and said:
“Isn’t that where we come in? Stirring up trouble is what this Holy Son does best. We’ll definitely make Xu Ningyan sit on pins and needles on his wedding day and make a complete fool of himself.”
The wedding most likely couldn’t be ruined. Given Xu Qi’an’s current status and position, if he was determined to marry Lin’an, not even the National Teacher could stop him. The Holy Son had no intention of ruining the wedding anyway. What he wanted was for Xu Ningyan to make a fool of himself.
Yang Qianhuan was delighted and clapped hard.
“Excellent idea!”
Hmph, showing off all day long, this is your retribution at last… Yang Qianhuan suddenly began looking forward to the wedding day arriving sooner.
…
Southern Marches.
In the palace of the Empress of the Wanyao Kingdom, Yeji, dressed in an elaborate black gauze gown, crossed the high threshold amid fluttering skirts and entered the luxurious hall filled with drifting green smoke and bright red candles.
Upon the throne-like couch lay a peerless beauty on her side, her jade legs crossed. Her tall, voluptuous body exuded temptation at every turn. One snow-white wrist propped up her lovely head as she watched the fox women dance.
Eight fox women clad in light gauze twisted their waists and hips, performing the passionate and bold dance of the Yao clans.
At the side, several other fox women beat waist drums and played the pipa and other instruments.
“Your Majesty.”
Yeji bowed.
The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox waved a hand and said coolly:
“Leave.”
The fox women in the hall bowed and withdrew.
The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox gazed at Yeji, toying with a fox tail in her hand. Her voice was soft and low, unhurried and languid.
“Has there been any progress in the matter I told you to investigate?”
Yeji replied:
“I’ve already met the descendants of the Scorpion King. From them, this servant learned that in the war between the Buddhists and the Yao, the Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Aspect emerged from within Master Shenshu’s body.
“According to the Scorpion King’s later recollection, the late Queen and the various Yao kings were caught completely off guard, suffering countless casualties. Afterwards, though Shenshu fought the Buddhist experts fiercely and slew many enemies, he could no longer reverse the decline.”
That Scorpion King had been somewhat farther away and had only suffered serious injuries. Later, he fled into the Central Plains with part of his clansmen and from then on lived in hiding under another name.
However, the injuries caused by the Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Aspect wore away at his life force day after day, and sixty years later that beyond-mortal Yao king perished.
The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox murmured to herself:
“The Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Aspect came from within Shenshu, from within Shenshu…”
After a long while, she drew a deep breath and said:
“In a few days, it will be the day of Xu Qi’an’s wedding to the princess of the Great Feng. Take gifts with you and go in the name of the Wanyao Kingdom to offer congratulations. After that, stay by his side.”
When she finished speaking, the silver-haired Yao beauty said with a smiling expression:
“He’s now a first rank martial artist, his qi and blood are flourishing, and he’s a supreme furnace of the finest kind, one of a kind in the world. Cultivate with him properly and advance to beyond-mortal as soon as possible, so that I may unite all nine tails and advance to first rank as well.
“I’m only giving you three months. After three months, I want to see your cultivation improve. Otherwise, I’ll send Qingji and Xueji, and the other tails as well. One of them is bound to advance to beyond-mortal.”
Yeji gave a bitter smile. “Yes!”
In truth, she didn’t much want to join the commotion. The fiercer the struggle among the women of a man’s inner household, the more he liked to keep canaries outside.
So focusing all her efforts on squeezing into the Xu residence might not be a good thing.
The Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox sighed and said:
“What a pity that when I went out to sea last time, I didn’t find another of my kind. If I had stripped it of its spiritual essence, I could’ve advanced to first rank all the same. Mother once said there ought to be other Nine-tailed Heavenly Foxes overseas, so why can’t I find any?”
The spiritual essence of a Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox could be “passed down”. And if it could be passed down, that meant members of the same race could seize it from one another.
When she had told Xu Qi’an that she was seeking her own kind in order to propagate descendants, she’d merely been casually fooling him.
At the time, they hadn’t been familiar with each other, so there’d been no need to tell him the secret of the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox clan.
…
Xu Manor.
In a side courtyard far from the main residence, Xu Yuanhuai stood bare-chested, holding a long spear level in his right hand. He had maintained this posture for half an hour, sweat running down his taut, well-proportioned muscles.
On the other side of the courtyard, Ji Baiqing was leisurely planting flowers in the flowerbed.
Spring had come. If they planted the flowers now, then in a few months the courtyard would be full of blooms in every shade and hue.
Xu Yuanshuang came over carrying a bowl of ginseng soup, set it beside the stone table, and said:
“Don’t push yourself too hard. The fourth rank is a hurdle for martial artists. Countless geniuses have been trapped at this bottleneck.”
Xu Yuanhuai ignored her.
Xu Yuanshuang shook her head.
“Stop comparing yourself to him all the time. He reached his current position not just because of that half share of national fortune. What he’s gone through over the past two years is something you could never match in a lifetime.
“He fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Isn’t it only natural that he’s stronger than someone like you, who hasn’t suffered much?”
Xu Yuanhuai lowered the spear. His face was stern as he said flatly:
“I stopped competing with him long ago. I have at least that much self-awareness. I just don’t want to seem too inferior.”
Xu Yuanshuang frowned.
“What kind of thing is that to say?”
Xu Yuanhuai’s talent was excellent. Even their father had praised it back then.
Xu Yuanhuai shook his head slightly.
“A few days ago I saw Xu Lingyue controlling an object, so I asked about her cultivation. Guess what she said?”
Xu Yuanshuang followed up at once.
“What did she say?”
Xu Yuanhuai said dully:
“She cultivated the Dao for half a year, and went from an ordinary person with no foundation at all to a seventh-rank Qi Guiding cultivator.”
Xu Yuanshuang’s little mouth parted slightly, her face full of shock.
Xu Yuanhuai continued:
“I carefully enquired into the talents of the few in the second branch. Xu Xinnian is a sixth-rank Confucian scholar, but the Confucian system emphasises accumulation before breakthrough. If one wants to cultivate, one must first study and reach a certain depth before advancing by leaps and bounds within the Confucian system.
“Xu Xinnian had already been at the ninth-rank Awakened stage early on, and for many years he didn’t advance an inch. But after passing the metropolitan examination, in just two years he rose from ninth rank to sixth rank. That shows how exceptional his talent is.
“I may not be able to surpass Xu Qi’an, but I can’t fall behind those two. I will reach the fourth rank before either of them.”
This was the competition and comparison of people of the same generation.
Xu Yuanshuang sighed.
“That brother and sister from the second branch truly have astonishing talent. Yet Second Uncle Xu’s talent is clearly quite ordinary…”
Of course, Second Uncle Xu’s poor talent didn’t mean the Xu family lacked talent. Their father, Xu Pingfeng, was a rare genius in the world.
Ji Baiqing rose, patted the dirt from her palms, and said gently:
“The second branch also has a youngest child. I heard from the servants that she’s a rather simple-minded child, far less clever than her elder brother and sister.”
Xu Yuanshuang recalled something and agreed:
“I heard that too. She’s already seven and still hasn’t even begun her basic education. She can only recite two lines of the Three Character Classic. Supposedly even the teachers of Cloud Deer Academy and the current Grand Tutor could do nothing with her. She’s just as talentless in martial arts, and spends all day fooling around.”
For someone to be this dull-witted was truly rare.
“Later I heard that because her physique was robust, she started learning Gu arts from a girl from the Southern Marches,” Xu Yuanshuang said.
Ji Baiqing washed her hands clean and said:
“It would be stranger if every one of them were exceptionally gifted. A dragon has nine sons, and each is different. If some are clever, then naturally some will be dull. That child has a fortunate life. Even if she’s a bit slow, with her elder brother and sister looking after her, she’s destined for wealth and honour in the future.
“I heard from your Auntie that before Ningyan’s wedding, they’ll bring her back. Put a bit more effort into this matter. Teach her to read and write. Yuanhuai can also teach her martial arts.”
The brother and sister understood what their mother meant. She was telling them to seize this opportunity and quickly integrate themselves into the Xu household.
Given the Xu household’s current status, the two siblings had virtually no way to make themselves useful. Their only opportunity lay with this dull youngest child of the second branch. Since she had achieved neither in letters nor in martial arts, whether they taught her reading and writing or martial arts, they could still win the second branch’s favour.
If they actually achieved something, the effect would be even better.
Xu Yuanshuang smiled.
“Teaching a child her first lessons isn’t difficult. If there’s a chance, I’d quite like to meet this younger sister.”
She had actually managed to leave even the teachers of Cloud Deer Academy and the current Grand Tutor helpless.
Xu Yuanshuang really didn’t believe it.
Xu Yuanhuai, however, shook his head.
“Martial arts require perseverance and talent. Since she has no talent, there’s no need to teach her. When I was seven, I was already tempering my bones and training my qi and blood. The hardships involved are not something a child who only knows how to play can endure.”
Xu Yuanshuang took the hand towel after her mother had wiped her hands and said softly:
“Mum, Elder Brother is about to be married, yet Auntie won’t let you take part in the preparations. She’s telling you that she is the true mistress of the Xu family.”
Ji Baiqing smiled.
“How could she have such delicate, twisting thoughts? You’re making her out to be far too complicated.
“Either she doesn’t want me to tire myself out, or she simply hasn’t thought of it, or else Lingyue doesn’t want me involved.”
That girl had been especially diligent in managing affairs lately. She was guarding her mother’s authority over the household, and she was an opponent who left no gaps at all.
As they were speaking, a maid came in from outside the courtyard, stopped not far away, and said softly:
“Madam, Miss Lingyin has returned. Madam sent this servant to invite you over for tea.”
The mother and her two children exchanged a glance. They had only just been talking about that youngest child.
What a coincidence.
…
In the spacious hall sat quite a few people. Aside from Second Uncle and Second Brother, who were on duty at their offices, the whole family was present.
Xu Qi’an sat by the table, idly playing with a thick stack of invitation cards.
Mu Nanzhi held a cup of tea, drinking it in a huff.
The Flower Goddess had beautiful handwriting, but she didn’t like helping Xu Qi’an write invitation cards.
Lingyue’s handwriting was just as good, but she very guiltily said that she had accidentally scalded her hand while drinking tea yesterday and couldn’t hold a brush.
In any case, she simply didn’t want to help.
Xu Lingyin sat in a large chair with her feet dangling in the air, hugging a plate of pastries and eating with complete concentration. Beside her sat Lina, fair but not quite fair, who was also gnawing on pastries, though she spared part of her attention to study the mother and two children entering the inner hall.
“Yuanshuang’s here!”
Xu Dalang’s eyes lit up at once, and he beckoned to his lovely and graceful younger sister.
“Come, come help your big brother write invitation cards.”
Xu Yuanshuang was just about to agree when she suddenly felt two sharp, murderous gazes fall upon her.
Without changing expression, Xu Yuanshuang gave a radiant smile.
“Alright, Big Brother.”
She glanced at Xu Lingyue and Mu Nanzhi, then feigned surprise.
“Don’t Lingyue and Aunt Mu know how to write?”
Though she was somewhat puzzled, she could tell that these two did not seem to like helping Big Brother write invitation cards.
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