Sun Xuanji’s speech was exactly like the empty, grandiose addresses of leaders and bosses. Apart from hot-blooded idiots fresh out of the gate, no one would take it in, let alone take it seriously.
As for Zhong Li abstaining, there was no need to say more. The fact that she got thirty votes already showed that the Unlucky Clique was very loyal.
Yang Qianhuan was only concerned with striking poses and looking impressive. Did he really think he could conquer all his fellow disciples with the back of his head alone?
Song Qing did make promises, but they were aimed only at his own group—the alchemists.
Alchemy was only one field within the Arcanists’ domain. Not every Arcanist was obsessed with alchemy. If the treasury of the Sitianjian was poured into supporting alchemical experiments, then others would have to worry about the whole treasury being drained dry by them.
Then what about pill refining? What about buying medicinal herbs? What about food, clothing, and daily expenses?
Only Chu Caiwei’s promise sounded childish and unpresentable at first, yet in truth it had the widest reach and the greatest allure.
Everyone had to eat. Food was the heaven of the people. No one could resist good food. Even Song Qing, who was immersed in alchemy, complained every day that the dishes made by the Sitianjian kitchens were not tasty enough.
So the Arcanists mocked Junior Sister Caiwei on the surface, but voted for her in private.
“You cheated!”
Yang Qianhuan couldn’t accept this reality and shouted:
“Xu Ningyan, you must’ve joined hands with Her Majesty to cheat. How could anyone possibly choose Junior Sister Caiwei? If Junior Sister Caiwei becomes the Jianzheng, where would the dignity of our Sitianjian be? She doesn’t even know how to turn her back on all living beings.
“I propose a new election!”
Xu Qi’an said flatly:
“Proposal denied. The voting process was open and fair. There was no cheating. You cast the votes yourselves. As for who exactly you voted for, you know that best in your own hearts.”
The white-robed Arcanists looked at one another, but none of them spoke.
Those who stayed silent were the ones who had voted for Chu Caiwei.
Song Qing slapped the table and sprang to his feet.
“I refuse to accept this!
“Could my promises really be worse than Junior Sister Caiwei’s? Don’t you want to spend silver by the heap? What exactly do you people want?”
What do they want? I reckon if you’d just said, “Vote for me and I’ll give each of you a wife”, then the position of Jianzheng would’ve been yours for certain… Xu Qi’an grumbled inwardly.
The hooded Yang Qianhuan turned round and, for once, faced the “Back-of-the-Head Clique” as he angrily rebuked them:
“You bunch of traitors, who exactly voted for Junior Sister Caiwei?”
He had sixty-six lackeys under him in total, yet he had received only forty votes. Clearly, there were twenty-two traitors among them.
“That’s right, who betrayed Senior Brother Yang? What a shameless traitor.”
“Exactly, exactly. Step forward of your own accord.”
All sixty-six spoke in unison.
Yang Qianhuan: ”…”
Huaiqing looked around at everyone. Her voice was cool and clear, with the texture of ice cubes striking one another, as she declared aloud:
“We will issue an edict shortly, appointing Chu Caiwei as the new Jianzheng for a term of three years. This election is now concluded. If anyone remains unconvinced and continues to stir up trouble, We will lock him underground for three years. Don’t say We didn’t warn you.”
Sun Xuanji silently turned and left.
Protector Yuan watched his back and slowly read his thoughts:
“Tired. Do as you like…”
Song Qing and Yang Qianhuan flicked their sleeves and left one after another.
Zhong Li glanced at Xu Qi’an, and the latter nodded.
“For the next few days, come stay at my place for a short while.”
To dispel some of her bad luck.
…
In the days that followed, Xu Qi’an once again entered the dull routine of flower arranging and jade fondling, teaching Lin’an, and secretly rolling about in bed with Fuxiang.
To strengthen his qi and improve his cultivation, he worked tirelessly, and from time to time he brought some miraculous aphrodisiac and kidney-strengthening pills from Lingbao Temple to visit the Holy Son.
The Holy Son was growing more haggard by the day… and there gradually appeared in his eyes a kind of enlightenment best described as “having no worldly desires left”. Xu Qi’an felt a more accurate description would be:
Not a drop left!
By the way, Xu Qi’an had rented a large two-courtyard residence in the capital for the Holy Son. More than thirty confidantes lived in the place, scheming against one another every day, bickering and squabbling, and taking turns draining the Holy Son’s life force.
Miao Youfang often took Lina’s elder brother, Mosang, to visit the Holy Son’s residence as guests (watching the show), and they found it endlessly entertaining.
By the end of the fourth month, Li Miaozhen, who had been away accumulating merit, returned to the capital and carried a jar of strengthening wine to visit her senior brother.
On the rooftop, Li Miaozhen looked at the residence full of murderous tension and said with glee:
“Senior Brother, life’s not been easy lately, has it?
“Look at those dark circles under your eyes, they’re almost catching up to Song Qing’s.”
Li Lingsu gave a cold snort:
“You think Xu Ningyan’s having an easy time? Don’t be fooled by how pleased with himself he looks all day, enjoying every blessing of having two wives and more. In reality, there’s no shortage of conflict in his household.
“Though your Senior Brother’s waist aches, my side is simple. I only have to soothe every woman, make sure the favour is spread evenly. They quarrel as they like, but things won’t spiral out of control. Xu Ningyan’s side is far more interesting.
“First there’s Princess Lin’an, tsk tsk, a born troublemaker. Today she suppresses Yeji, tomorrow she needles the princess consort, and the day after she fights three hundred rounds with Xu Lingyue. That princess is truly a handful.
“And yet her standards are appalling. She can’t beat any of them. That spirit of repeated defeats followed by repeated attempts, even I find astonishing.”
Li Miaozhen gave a snort.
“That’s no surprise. Didn’t Huaiqing say it herself? Lin’an’s just a sparrow, chirping endlessly. She looks tiny, hardly amounting to much, but the moment you stop paying attention, she flies up and pecks you in the face.
“I really don’t know what Xu Ningyan likes about her.”
Li Lingsu chuckled.
“That’s where you don’t understand. A sweet and adorable paper tiger like Lin’an, one who’s wholeheartedly devoted to you, who comes before you with tears brimming in her eyes after being wronged, looking pitiful and hoping you’ll stand up for her, that’s exactly the kind of woman men like best.”
Li Miaozhen felt that was entirely beyond her abilities and gave a cold snort.
“All she knows is pretending to be weak and pitiful. Revolting.”
“Now that’s where you’re wrong. The one who pretends to be weak and pitiful is Xu Lingyin, but men fall for that too. Who wouldn’t like a delicate and lovely little sister depending on you? Speaking of Xu Lingyue, ever since the wedding she stopped pretending. Now she’s fighting fiercely with Xu Ningyan’s birth mother.”
Li Miaozhen frowned.
“What conflict could she possibly have with Xu Ningyan’s birth mother?”
They were plainly two people with no conflict of interests at all.
Li Lingsu launched into an eloquent explanation:
“Because the relationship between Auntie Xu and Xu Ningyan’s birth mother is a bit delicate. Though the two of them remain polite on the surface, over time Auntie Xu can’t help thinking, now that this woman has returned, the child I raised through so much hardship is no longer mine. Watching her fuss over Xu Ningyan with care and concern, of course she won’t feel good about it.
“You clearly did nothing, yet just because of your status, you’ve snatched away the child I raised with so much pain and effort. But from Aunt Ji’s point of view, she only wants to make up for more than twenty years of absence.
“The National Teacher isn’t some oil-efficient lamp either. Every few days she goes to the Xu residence and drinks tea with Xu Ningyan and discusses the Dao right in front of Lin’an. Oh yes, and that vixen is quite cunning. She’s already become Lin’an’s military adviser.
“She’s specifically there to help her think up ideas…”
Li Miaozhen looked her senior brother up and down with a strange expression.
“How do you know all this in such detail?”
“It’s all from Miao Youfang,” Li Lingsu said, lifting his brows.
Good grief, had Miao Youfang changed professions and become an undercover intelligence gatherer? Specialising in collecting information on the domestic warfare among the women of the Xu household? The last time you two were hung outside the Xu residence wasn’t enough, and now you want to be hung from the capital’s city gate… Li Miaozhen’s mind was full of complaints.
Li Lingsu coughed and said:
“Never mind all this messy nonsense. Miaozhen, how’s your merit cultivation going?”
Li Miaozhen gave an “Mm.”
“Quite well.”
Only after switching to the Earth Sect cultivation method did she feel she had found the right path. Doing good deeds and cultivating at the same time suited her perfectly.
Li Lingsu sighed.
“Although the Earth Sect cultivation method suits you, the danger of succumbing to demonic corruption can’t be ignored. So, Senior Brother has already thought of a solution for you.”
Li Miaozhen looked at him in surprise, thinking, since when were you the sort to care for your junior sister? What trick are you trying to pull?
Li Lingsu took out a thin book with a brown cover, only about a dozen pages long, slipped it quietly into Li Miaozhen’s arms, and whispered:
“Senior Brother stole this from Lingbao Temple. The Human Sect cultivation method. Keep it safe.”
The Human Sect cultivation method… Li Miaozhen shot him a sidelong glance. What are you trying to do?
“There’s no way to solve the Earth Sect’s demonic corruption, but if the Human Sect’s karmic fire entangles you, you can cultivate together with Xu Ningyan. Sleep with him openly and above board. Senior Brother can only help you this much.” Li Lingsu waggled his brows.
Though he loathed that bastard Xu Ningyan, since his junior sister had feelings for him, he wasn’t about to break up a pair of lovers.
Besides, his junior sister had a fierce temperament. She was much harder to handle than Luo Yuheng or the princess consort.
If Xu Ningyan couldn’t keep himself under control… then the days ahead would be very entertaining indeed.
“You’re insane!”
Li Miaozhen casually threw the Human Sect cultivation method into the flowerbed in the courtyard.
“Can’t be bothered with you. I’m off.”
Li Miaozhen flew away on her sword.
The Holy Son sat alone on the rooftop, drinking tiger bone wine in desolation. Just thinking about the several intense close encounters waiting after dusk made his heart tremble with fear.
After finishing the tiger bone wine, the Holy Son felt capable again. He leisurely climbed down from the rooftop and searched through the flowerbed, only to discover that the Human Sect cultivation method was nowhere to be found.
“Eh? She clearly threw it here…”
…
Imperial Palace.
In the Imperial Study, Huaiqing sat behind a large desk covered in yellow silk and said flatly:
“Today Prime Minister Qian submitted a memorial listing quite a number of young talents of both ability and character, hoping We would choose one from among them and appoint him as empress.
“What does Silver Gong Xu think?”
I think ‘appoint him as empress’ sounds a bit off… Xu Qi’an said from below the hall:
“Let me have a look.”
Seeing that he actually wanted to look, Huaiqing’s face turned cold.
What are you looking at?
Going to pick one for me after you’ve looked?
Huaiqing glanced at the eunuch holding the imperial seal and said coolly:
“Bring out the portraits for Silver Gong Xu to inspect.”
The eunuch at once carried over more than a dozen scrolls, and with the help of the young eunuchs, unfolded them one by one.
Xu Qi’an slowly swept his gaze over the young masters of high birth and exalted station, then said irritably:
“What kind of crooked melons and split dates are these? How are they worthy of Our Emperor? Has Prime Minister Qian lost his mind?
“Is he tired of being Prime Minister?”
Huaiqing deliberately played the devil’s advocate and said coolly:
“We think they’re all quite good. Every one of them is handsome and promising, and the Great Feng’s outstanding young men aren’t limited to Silver Gong Xu alone, are they?
“Whichever one seems most pleasing to your eye, pick one for Us.”
In truth, the men Qian Qingshu had selected were indeed not bad. It could be said they were the finest second-generation elites in the capital.
Their own abilities were also quite impressive.
Take this young master called “Qian Jun”, for example. At the age of ten he could recite the Book of Songs backwards, and at twelve he passed the county examination.
Although he failed the metropolitan examination last year, presumably this year he could seize first place and become top scholar with an essay entitled My Prime Minister Father…
Xu Qi’an shook his head.
“Such ordinary mortals, how could they be worthy of Your Majesty?”
Huaiqing gave an “Oh”, her tone cool:
“We are also an ordinary woman. Sooner or later We must marry and bear children. These men are all future pillars of the Great Feng, so how are they unworthy of Us!”
Xu Qi’an replied casually:
“The only one worthy of Your Majesty would of course be a towering great hero!”
Huaiqing braced both hands on the desk and leaned slightly forwards. Her beautiful eyes shone brightly, as if she had been waiting for exactly those words, and pressed him:
“Then in Silver Gong Xu’s opinion, who is this towering hero?”
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