Nightwatcher

Chapter 230: Compensation

# 230. Compensation

Wei Yuan, who had stood firmly in the officialdom for decades, could keenly sense even the slightest change in the atmosphere.

Even though Emperor Yuanjing only glanced at him when he entered and the officials had already retracted their gazes, Wei Yuan knew that this small court meeting was likely related to him.

The Spring Festival had just concluded, and in a few days, the results of the official evaluation would be out. During this period, the lists for review from various provinces had been sent to the Ministry of Personnel, awaiting Emperor Yuanjing’s final approval.

The assessment results from the capital had already taken shape under the supervision of the Minister of Personnel.

The formation of this assessment list was accompanied by intense competition and struggles, which the officials in the hall and Emperor Yuanjing were well aware of. They wouldn't overturn it at this juncture.

Since it wasn't about the official evaluation, what other major matter could involve him?

Wei Yuan's mind raced, and two words appeared in his thoughts—Yunzhou!

*The eight-hundred-mile urgent report came from Yunzhou… it seems Yunzhou has indeed rebelled. With Jiang Lyuzhong and Yang Yan’s abilities, and Zhang Xingying’s prior efforts, Yunzhou shouldn't have descended into chaos…* Wei Yuan pondered.

After waiting for another quarter of an hour, the ministers eligible to attend the small court meeting arrived one after another.

Emperor Yuanjing, looking down at the ministers below, said, "This morning, there was an eight-hundred-mile urgent letter from Yunzhou. The Yunzhou case has concluded. The one colluding with the Church of the Warlock God, supporting mountain bandits, and transporting military supplies was the Provincial Governor of Yunzhou, Song Changfu."

It was as if a bomb had been dropped; the ministers exploded into an uproar, their faces pale with shock. Following this were uncontrollable discussions and angry denunciations.

However, some people were not surprised, such as the Wang Clique.

Urgent documents must first pass through the Cabinet, which then transfers them to the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for conveying the emperor’s orders and reporting the petitions and appeals from the populace as well as military and disaster information.

The Cabinet is the domain of the Prime Minister, and while they have no right to privately open urgent documents, the emperor’s first act after reading them is to inform the Cabinet and then hold a meeting.

Thus, the Wang Clique had the first-hand information.

"Silence!"

The chief eunuch beside Emperor Yuanjing shouted several times to quiet the ministers.

"My lords, please listen," Emperor Yuanjing said.

The white-haired, brocade-robed senior eunuch glanced at a corner eunuch and nodded slightly.

That eunuch stepped forward, unfolded the document in his hand, and read aloud:

“Your servant Zhang Xingying reports:

“The Yunzhou case concluded on the 24th of January. The traitors, Song Changfu, Yang You, Chen Ming… thirty-four individuals in total, have all been executed.”

A string of names followed, all officials of various ranks.

“Yunzhou is now under control, and the major case has been resolved. This is due to the court’s proper governance and the emperor's virtuous guidance.

“Gold Gong Jiang Lyuzhong protected me throughout, working diligently...

“Gold Gong Yang Yan, risking his life, led the army to fiercely attack the rebels, playing a crucial role in suppressing the rebellion, preventing the rebels from burning, killing, and plundering Yunzhou’s people...

“Silver Gongs Zhao Bin, Tang Shanhu, and Li Yun died protecting me at the hands of the Warlock of Dreams from the Church of the Warlock God. Their loyalty and heroic spirit are truly lamentable...

“Bronze Gongs Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao made significant contributions during the investigation, helping Xu Qi’an find evidence. To protect this evidence, they even risked their lives and suffered severe injuries... In the process of quelling the rebels, they led by example, showing no fear of death, their patriotism moving to tears...”

From Gold Gongs to Bronze Gongs, Inspector Zhang praised them one by one, writing in great detail and with much care.

Wei Yuan listened silently, his expression unchanged even when hearing of the three Silver Gongs' deaths. The mighty minister who never showed his emotions remained stoic.

“Bronze Gong Xu Qi’an, during his journey south, uncovered the iron mine smuggling case. This matter has been previously reported and will not be detailed again. However, in the Yunzhou case, Xu Qi’an single-handedly deciphered numerous clues and found the evidence... It was he who detected Song Changfu’s conspiracy, reversing the case and preventing the wrongful accusation of loyal officials.

“When the plot was exposed, Song Changfu, in a desperate act, gathered rebel forces, closed the city gates, and besieged your servant in the Provincial Governor’s office. At the moment of crisis, Xu Qi’an fought the rebels alone, killing over two hundred enemies before succumbing to exhaustion.

"Your lowly servant dares to request his posthumous ennoblement.

"Your servant is still in Yunzhou, hoping to meet Your Majesty soon. Zhang Xingying bows and submits."

After reading, the eunuch rolled up the long memorial and stepped back.

Emperor Yuanjing glanced at the ministers who couldn't stop whispering and discussing, and finally fixed his gaze on Wei Yuan.

This legendary eunuch, hailed as the most powerful official in the five hundred years of Great Feng, who won the Battle of Shanhai Pass and subdued neighbouring countries, who commanded the Nightwatchers and supervised officials with a notorious reputation…

Was actually daydreaming during the court meeting.

"What do you think of Zhang Xingying’s report, my dear ministers?" Emperor Yuanjing asked, "Wei Yuan, Wei Yuan, Wei Yuan..."

He called out three times, each louder than the last.

Wei Yuan shuddered, seemingly startled. He responded with a light "Ah?"

Emperor Yuanjing’s lips curled slightly. "It seems Lord Wei is not in good spirits. Zhang Xingying has quelled the Yunzhou rebellion in its infancy, and this is also your achievement. Are you not pleased, Wei Yuan?"

Wei Yuan did not answer.

The Censor-in-Chief of the Ministry of Rites jumped out to scold, "Wei Yuan, His Majesty is speaking to you."

Wei Yuan still did not answer.

"Enough!" Emperor Yuanjing was in a good mood, waving his hand to discuss the merits of the Nightwatchers based on the memorial.

When it came to Xu Qi’an, there were disagreements about granting him a posthumous title. A small number of ministers agreed, while most objected.

In truth, it wasn't inappropriate. Titles were rewards for meritorious service and a means for the court to win hearts.

Xu Qi’an's situation warranted a posthumous title, a mere honour after death.

But Xu Qi’an was Wei Yuan’s confidant, and opposing Wei Yuan was second nature for the civil ministers. Additionally, Xu Qi’an had made many enemies. From the tax silver case to the Sangpo case, from the Pingyang Princess case to the Yunzhou case.

Because of him, the Minister of Revenues from the Wang Clique fell; the Liang Clique was wiped out; the Minister of Rites from the Wang Clique was brought down; the Minister of Industry from the Qi Clique was executed along with his nine generations…

The number of people who hated him was countless. Even if it was posthumous honour, they did not want to give it to him.

Among the most vehement were the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Rites, both from the Qi Clique, who passionately argued, pointing out flaws, essentially saying:

Xu Qi’an did not deserve it.

Although the Minister of Justice was from the Qi Clique, there was no evidence linking him to the Church of the Warlock God, which allowed him to remain unaffected.

Cliques were political allies, not familial relatives.

The Minister of Rites was from the Wang Clique, whose superior had been brought down by Xu Qi’an in the Sangpo case. The most hateful thing was that the new Minister of Rites was Wei Yuan’s man.

The ministers' attitudes made Emperor Yuanjing hesitant. From his perspective, the death of a Bronze Gong who constantly annoyed him was hardly enough to make the emperor ecstatic, but truthfully, it felt quite satisfying.

Like getting rid of a buzzing fly.

However, Emperor Yuanjing agreed with granting a title, as Xu Qi’an had indeed made significant contributions. Bestowing a title would demonstrate his fairness in rewards and punishments.

Emperor Yuanjing was most lenient to the deceased.

But if the majority of ministers disagreed, Emperor Yuanjing would not insist.

Just as he was about to conclude the discussion and reject Zhang Xingying’s suggestion, he saw Wei Yuan step forward.

The grand eunuch walked straight to the Minister of Rites and, raising his hand, gave him a great slap!

The loud slap echoed through the Imperial Study, instantly silencing the ministers’ debates and drawing astonished gazes.

"Slap!"

The Minister of Justice also received a slap, stumbling and falling, his hairpin falling off, leaving him disheveled.

"Whoa..."

The astonished looks turned into an uproar, and the Imperial Study erupted.

In the history of Great Feng, there were quite a few instances of hot-tempered officials fighting in the court. But this was the Imperial Study.

The fact that the one hitting was Wei Yuan made it even more absurd and bizarre.

In the minds of the ministers, Wei Yuan, as a eunuch, holding the power over the Nightwatchers and the Metropolitan Inspection Bureau, with labels of cunning, treacherous, and scheming, et cetera.

But he was never “impulsive and reckless”, else someone would have easily gotten leverage over him, and sent him packing.

What was Wei Yuan plotting? Was it intentional?

The ministers’ thoughts were racing, but the supervising secretaries didn't need to think so much. Several of them from the Six Ministries rushed out, shouting:

"Your Majesty, Wei Yuan struck people in the court, showing no respect for Your Majesty or the law. Please decree his execution."

The secretaries didn't need to think much; they just seized the opportunity and pressed hard.

Immediately, many officials echoed their sentiments.

Wei Yuan paid no heed to the ministers’ accusations. He bowed and said in a deep voice, “Your Majesty, the Qi Clique's matter is not yet resolved. Although the Minister of Industry has been dealt with, his associates are still hiding within the court. In the Sangpo case, the Minister of Rites colluded with the Yao tribes, and his accomplices remain.

"As the official evaluation approaches, I suggest delaying the evaluations until all these matters are thoroughly investigated and resolved."

What does he mean?

The courtiers were taken aback, looking at Wei Yuan in disbelief. His words implied he wanted to delay the official evaluations, and he planned to stir up more trouble?

Since the beginning of the year, the capital’s officialdom had gone through a period of tension, cautious observation, and intense power struggles, leading to widespread exhaustion.

Even the most cunning plotters wanted the official evaluations to end soon so they could recuperate.

Wei Yuan, however, seemed intent on continuing the strife.

Is- is he mad?

Even the Prime Minister, Wang Zhenwen, couldn’t help but turn his head, astonished at Wei Yuan. Azure Cloak Wei remained expressionless, as usual.

As an old adversary, Wang Zhenwen found himself unable to fathom Wei Yuan's intentions at this moment.

Was it a moment of anger?

No, Wei Yuan could never be swayed by emotion. Besides, where would the anger come from?

Emperor Yuanjing stared at Wei Yuan for a moment before realizing that the death of the bronze gong named Xu Qi'an held significant weight in Wei Yuan’s heart.

He raised his hand to quiet the ministers and slowly said, “Such a complex case solved by Xu Qi'an in just a month is truly remarkable.

“The death of such talent is a loss to our court. We shall follow Zhang Xingying’s proposal.

"As for Wei Yuan striking an official in court, this is a breach of law and order. He shall be fined a year’s salary. As for the official evaluation, it will proceed according to the ancestral system, with no changes."

The ministers were not surprised by Emperor Yuanjing’s light punishment. Though they felt disappointed, they knew that such an incident wouldn’t bring down the grand eunuch.

Given Wei Yuan's importance, the emperor's tolerance for his mistakes was very high. Striking an official a few times warranted only minor punishment.

What surprised them was that Wei Yuan did not pursue the matter of the official evaluations further, ceasing all discussion about it.

This made the ministers realize that the suggestion to delay the examinations was merely an excuse for Wei Yuan to vent his anger.

While the emperor gave only a light punishment, the ministers were greatly intrigued by the reason behind Wei Yuan's loss of composure. It seemed that even the usually invulnerable Wei Yuan had something that deeply affected him.

The debate over posthumously granting Xu Qi'an a noble title then began, with many opinions voiced.

After much discussion, Xu Qi'an's title was decided: Viscount of Changle County.

Viscount!

It was a non-hereditary title.

...

The small court session ended, and the ministers dispersed. Wei Yuan walked ahead silently, his steps fast and determined, not allowing anyone to see his expression.

"Father."

Nangong Qianrou approached, intending to ask about the small court session and the urgent document from Yunzhou. However, he froze.

Wei Yuan’s face was devoid of expression, yet it was easy to sense his sadness. His eyes, worn by the years, revealed deep sorrow.

Without greeting or even nodding, Wei Yuan silently walked past Nangong Qianrou, continuing forward in silence.

The hem of his azure robe swayed gently. His silhouette was lonely and desolate.

*What happened...* Nangong Qianrou was stunned. He glanced at the ministers following behind, suppressing his urge to ask questions and quickly caught up with Wei Yuan.

The carriage wheels rumbled on the way back to the Nightwatchers’ headquarters. Nangong Qianrou held back his questions throughout the journey, finally speaking as they neared the headquarters:

"Father, what happened?"

Inside the carriage, Wei Yuan's deep, hoarse voice responded, "Xu Qi'an has died in action."

*This...* Nangong Qianrou’s expression froze.

He turned his head, discreetly glancing inside the carriage. Despite the door blocking his view, he couldn’t help but slow his movements, fearing Wei Yuan might notice.

Everyone in the Nightwatchers’ headquarters knew Wei Yuan valued Xu Qi'an, but only Nangong Qianrou and Yang Yan understood the extent. Wei Yuan placed great expectations on Xu Qi'an, like a craftsman discovering a perfect piece of raw jade.

He cherished it, constantly thinking of sculpting it into a world-class gem that would amaze everyone.

Though unspoken, Nangong Qianrou knew this anticipation and importance far surpassed his own as an adopted son.

Now that Xu Qi'an had died in action, it was understandable how Wei Yuan felt... Nangong Qianrou sighed inwardly.

He thought he would secretly rejoice at this news. Xu Qi'an's presence made him jealous and uneasy, and he had often wished that man had never appeared.

If only he was still the one his father focused on the most.

Now, hearing about Xu Qi'an's death, Nangong Qianrou found no joy but rather a sense of loss and emptiness.

At that moment, the reins in his hands slipped. Nangong Qianrou was startled to realize he had unconsciously crushed them into powder.

Upon returning to the constabulary, Nangong Qianrou followed Wei Yuan up to the seventh floor of the Tower of Noble Spirit. At the entrance of the tea room, Wei Yuan stopped and said softly:

"You go out first. I want to be alone for a while."

Nangong Qianrou hesitated but then bowed and left. However, he didn’t go far and waited outside the tea room.

The tea room was silent. The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the observation deck, making it spacious and bright.

Wei Yuan, as usual, reviewed the documents, as if nothing had happened. He remained the composed and imperturbable grand eunuch.

As the sun moved west, its orange-red glow coloured the clouds as if they were burning.

Wei Yuan hadn’t turned a single page of the document in his hand. He sat still for five hours.

Finally, he closed the document and rubbed his temples, calling out, "Qianrou."

"Father..." Nangong Qianrou entered, his delicate face filled with concern.

"Summon all the Gold Gongs in the constabulary," Wei Yuan ordered.

Nangong Qianrou left and soon returned with six Gold Gongs.

Wei Yuan stood in the center of the tea room, silently observing the Gold Gongs.

"Duke Wei." The Gold Gongs cupped their hands.

Wei Yuan nodded slightly and slowly said, "Send orders to all undercover agents, infiltrate the northeastern countries. By early summer, I want the southwest border defense map of the Church of the Warlock God at all costs."

Gold Gong Zhang Kaitai was taken aback. "Duke Wei..."

The other Gold Gongs were equally shocked.

Wei Yuan said calmly, "After the autumn harvest, I will wage war against the Church of the Warlock God."

*As expected...* The Gold Gongs carefully observed Wei Yuan and finally noticed a subtle difference in the demeanor of this grand eunuch. Previously, Duke Wei had always maintained a serene demeanor that matched his status and intelligence, holding an aura of control and calm.

But today, he was different. Those eyes, usually filled with the wisdom of ages, now burned with a sharp determination and fighting spirit.

This kind of fighting spirit and resolve had only been seen during the battle at Shanhai Pass.

The Gold Gongs lowered their heads in unison and replied formally, "We will obey your command."

The Gold Gongs then left the Tower of Noble Spirit. Once outside, one of the Gold Gongs frowned and said, "The court is unlikely to start a war lightly."

Nangong Qianrou sneered, "The court may not start a war lightly, but the Church of the Warlock God and the northeastern countries will. As long as we send the confidential information through secret channels, we need not fear that the Church of the Warlock God won’t take the bait.

When the borders are disturbed, His Majesty and the court officials won't be able to turn a blind eye.

With the means of my foster father, if he wants to fight the Church of the Warlock God, it depends on whether he wants to, not on whether His Majesty wants to."

Zhang Kaitai looked at Nangong Qianrou and asked with a frown, "Did something happen in court today? Duke Wei seems a bit unusual."

Nangong Qianrou nodded, "This morning, there was an urgent report delivered from Yunzhou by Zhang Xingying. As father predicted, Yunzhou has indeed rebelled."

Pausing, he scanned the Gold Gongs, and said in a lowered voice, "Xu Qi’an has died in action."

The Gold Gongs suddenly looked up at the Tower of Noble Spirit.

……

At that moment, Xu Qi’an was still drifting on the water.

The one who took Liang Youping wasn’t the King of Posturing?!

Xu Qi’an felt an indescribable horror, akin to taking a selfie in an abandoned house, developing the photo at home, and then discovering a ghostly figure with dishevelled hair in the background.

That kind of horror chilled him to the bone and made his scalp tingle.

"Are you sure you didn't take Liang Youping?" Xu Qi’an confirmed.

"When have I, Yang Qianhuan, ever lied?" the King of Posturing said indifferently.

His teacher had assigned him the task of secretly protecting Xu Qi’an. Although the King of Posturing didn't know why his teacher had given such an order, he was always a rule-abiding disciple, very reliable in his duties!

If he promised to protect Xu Qi’an, he wouldn’t do anything unnecessary.

The Yunzhou case had nothing to do with him; solving it was the Inspector General's responsibility. Later, when Xu Qi’an threw himself into the trap, he had no choice but to intervene and save him, thus revealing himself.

*Get lost, you just lied about not peeking at the letters...* If Xu Qi’an weren't in such a mood, he would have slapped the King of Posturing’s face swollen right there.

*If Liang Youping wasn't taken by Yang Qianhuan, then the whole case would have to be reconsidered... Could it be that the mastermind behind the scenes wasn’t Song Changfu, but someone else, like Yang Chuannan?*

The Yunzhou case originally started when the undercover agent Zhou Min discovered that Yang Chuannan was embezzling military supplies and supporting bandits. Only when Xu Qi’an stumbled upon it by accident, did they uncover the collusion between the Qi Clique and the Church of the Warlock God, leading to the subsequent investigation by the Inspector General in Yunzhou.

*Could the truth of this case be:*

*Yang Chuannan realized that his plot was exposed by the Nightwatcher's undercover agent, so he had the Warlock of Dreams kill Zhou Min to silence him, decode the ciphers, and destroy the evidence... Then he set up this ruse, with Liang Youping as the key to the reversal.*

*He deliberately let Liang Youping wait for me at the dog meat shop, and then used Li Miaozhen to reveal Liang Youping’s identity, drawing my attention... Then had someone deliver Liang Youping to the Inspector General, using this twist to make us believe the mastermind was Song Changfu, allowing himself to escape?*

*At that time, Liang Youping’s qi was indeed blocked, preventing Sitianjian's Qi-watching technique from determining if he was lying.*

Xu Qi’an thought for a while and rejected this hypothesis for three reasons:

First, there was no need to go through so much trouble. Making the case so complicated only exposed more flaws. The simpler the case, the harder it was to solve. As the saying goes, the stranger your weapon, the quicker your death. The same principle applied to cases.

Yang Chuannan only needed to destroy the evidence. Even if everyone suspected him, without evidence, Zhang Xingying couldn’t touch a second-grade commander.

This was the safest method.

Second, Zhang Xingying and others, including Xu Qi’an, believed Liang Youping’s words mainly because they thought the person who helped was Yang Qianhuan.

Reviewing the case, when Liang Youping was delivered to the station, Zhang Xingying and others were doubtful of his testimony. At that time, Zhang Xingying’s response was to first arrest Song Changfu and confront Liang Youping.

As a result, Song Changfu "committed suicide to escape punishment," followed by the rebellion of Yunzhou’s forces. The events were too closely connected, leaving no time to verify the truth of the case.

Until Yang Qianhuan appeared, everyone suddenly understood that the mysterious arcanist was Yang Qianhuan, which made sense.

So, Liang Youping’s "surrender" had a reasonable explanation.

Unfortunately, after Yang Qianhuan helped Jiang Lyuzhong kill the Warlock of Dreams, he immediately left, making it impossible to verify the follow-up.

Xu Qi’an included this point as a reason because Yang Chuannan couldn’t have known that Yang Qianhuan was in Yunzhou. Therefore, this mysterious arcanist was an inexplicable doubt in the minds of Zhang Xingying and others.

Although he could use the subsequent rebellion to eliminate Zhang Xingying, but if he could eliminate Zhang Xingying, why bother with such a convoluted plot?

Instead, the Warlock of Dreams’ explanation made sense. The reason for hiding was to push Yang Chuannan to take the blame. When things fell apart, the last resort was to silence everyone.

Third, if Yang Chuannan was the mastermind, those rebels who followed him would have long revealed it. The traitors in Yunzhou’s officialdom would certainly know who their leader was.

This was a rebellion, not some street gang affair.

*The mastermind should indeed be Song Changfu, but what about that mysterious arcanist?*

*A wild arcanist reaching such a level?* It was important to know that the arcanist system had only existed for about six hundred years, unlike warriors and other systems, which had been around for a long time and have many wild practitioners.

Moreover, even established systems like Confucianism had strict controls on cultivation methods. Only warriors, who had no dad (no beyond-rank entities), were found throughout the world. This was another reason other systems look down on warriors.

*Also, why did this mysterious arcanist help me? What is his motive?*

Xu Qi’an suddenly thought of something. Could the arcanist from the tax silver case, the one who created the counterfeit silver, be the same as the one in the Yunzhou case, or from the same faction?

*If that’s the case, helping me can be ruled out... These bastards almost got me exiled and nearly got my second uncle executed...* Xu Qi’an rubbed his temples, feeling a headache.

The Sitianjian was not so simple.

"Ah-hem..." Xu Qi’an coughed. "I need to tell you something, Brother Yang."

"Go ahead."

Xu Qi’an then detailed the existence of the mysterious arcanist to Yang Qianhuan and asked, "Is our Sitianjian hiding some secret?"

"Our Sitianjian?" Yang Qianhuan, still facing away from him, asked.

“I mean, Miss Caiwei will be married to me sooner or later eh.”

“Heh.” Yang Qianhuan sneered before speaking in a serious tone: “The Sitianjian indeed has some secrets. For example, our teacher never talks about our grandmaster, but I know that our teacher once killed his master.”

*Killed his master...* Xu Qi'an recalled the investigation into the Sangpo case and the information about the first Jianzheng.

The first Jianzheng supported the old royal line five hundred years ago. After the then Pinghai King, later Emperor Wuzong usurped the throne, the Jianzheng position was passed on to the current one.

Information about the first Jianzheng had been erased from history.

Erased completely clean, so much so that even Princess Huaiqing, a scholarly genius who could be a professor of history, couldn't find any information. It was only through the Buddhist teachings from five hundred years ago that they found some clues.

*So it turns out that the Jianzheng really did kill his master. What was once speculation is now confirmed...* Xu Qi'an said: “Are you suggesting that the Arcanist who appeared in Yunzhou is connected to the first Jianzheng?”

Yang Qianhuan shook his head: “I don't know about that. Don't ask too much. You don't understand the Arcanist system. Even someone as unique as me doesn't know the names of first and second-rank Arcanists.”

Xu Qi'an was no longer a rookie. Typically, this meant that knowing information about first and second-rank Arcanists would reveal many secrets of the Arcanist system, secrets that couldn't be shared with outsiders.

“Do you know what rank an Arcanist needs to be to conceal someone's aura? Can you do it, Brother Yang?” Xu Qi'an probed, unwilling to give up.

“This I can tell you,” Yang Qianhuan said. “Concealing one's own aura is easy for any Arcanist. Concealing someone else's aura requires a sixth rank or higher.

“But if it's as you said, that Liang Youping could conceal his aura from a fourth-rank Warlock of Dreams' divination and curses, there's only one rank in the Arcanist system that can do that. Liang Youping's aura wasn't just concealed; his fate and heavenly secrets were masked.”

He paused before continuing, “A third-rank Arcanist, a Master of Heaven’s Secrets.”

*... Third rank?! The Arcanist involved in the Yunzhou case is a third rank?!* Xu Qi'an was stunned, feeling like his brain wasn't working.

*The Yunzhou case involved a third-rank Arcanist!*

*If that were the case, then of course the fourth-rank Master of Formations Yang Qianhuan couldn't do it. Damn, if I'd known this crucial information earlier, I... I would have pretended to know nothing.*

Xu Qi'an thought to himself that even if he saw through the plans of a third-rank Arcanist, he couldn't reveal them.

This wasn't cowardice; it was the mindset of an adult.

They needed to give each other some face.

“Keep this confidential and don't spread it around, especially about our teacher killing his master.” Yang Qianhuan paused before adding:

“I'm not afraid of our teacher. I just think that at his age, he deserves to keep his dignity. I want to leave him some respect.”

*The more you explain, the guiltier you look... I wouldn't dare say anything. The Jianzheng could crush me with one finger...* Xu Qi'an nodded, agreeing: “I also think we should give the Jianzheng some respect.”

Yang Qianhuan smiled and said, “You are indeed an interesting man, just like me.”

The Sitianjian's history wasn't long, and much about it could actually be easily investigated, unlike the Confucian and Daoist sages, the former of which lived several thousand years ago, and the latter beyond written history.

Xu Qi'an planned to secretly investigate the Sitianjian when he returned to the capital, and also look into Susu's family history — definitely not because he lusted after her body. She didn't have a body, after all.

“Gurgle gurgle...”

Xu Qi'an's stomach growled. He immediately got out of the coffin and said, “I'm going to find something to eat.”

Yang Qianhuan asked, “How do you plan to explain your resurrection?”

Xu Qi'an suddenly froze. Yes, how was he going to explain his resurrection?

The old dogs in the capital weren't easy to fool, and he was no longer the little Constable from Chang'an County. Oh, he still was a Constable this year.

He was the little Constable back then.

Xu Qi'an quietly lay back in the coffin: “I won't show up for now. I'll ask dad's opinion when we get to the capital. Brother Yang, I'll have to trouble you with the food.”

Yang Qianhuan nodded, indicating he had no problem, then asked in surprise: “Weren't you an orphan raised by your second uncle?”

“Actually, I'm Wei Yuan's illegitimate son.”

“What?!” Yang Qianhuan was shocked.

*Xu Qi'an is Wei Yuan's illegitimate son? Wei Yuan actually has an illegitimate son?*

…..

The Xu Family Manor, in the Inner City.

Early the next morning, Nangong Qianrou, accompanied by two Bronze Gongs, knocked on the gate of the Xu Manor.

The side door was already open, but with his status as a Gold Gong, he naturally had to use the main entrance.

The doorman, Old Zhang, opened the main door and saw three Nightwatchers. He quickly lowered his head and said, “Sirs, what brings you here?”

Because the eldest son was a Nightwatcher, he had some understanding of the hierarchy and uniforms of the Nightwatchers.

This female Nightwatcher had a gold gong embroidered on her chest, indicating a status much higher than Xu Qi’an.

At this moment, just after dawn, Nangong Qianrou glanced at Old Zhang and looked towards the interior of the residence, saying, “Is Baihu Xu Pingzhi of the Imperial Guard present?”

He was here under his adoptive father's orders to deliver a condolence payment to Xu Qi'an's family, three hundred taels of silver.

That's the set amount for a Bronze Gong. Rules were rules.

But Nangong Qianrou knew that the benefits Xu Qi'an's family would receive in the future would be immeasurable. For example, Xu Pingzhi's position in the Imperial Guard could be promoted.

The scholar from the Yunlu Academy, who would be taking the spring examination, wouldn't be sent to a remote county in the future.

“Yes, he is. The master and mistress are having breakfast in the back hall. Please wait in the front hall, sirs, while I inform the master.”

Old Zhang respectfully led the three Nightwatchers to the front hall and instructed the servants to serve hot tea.

The two Bronze Gongs politely thanked him and were very friendly.

Nangong Qianrou did not take the tea, saying, “No need to waste time. Lead me to him.”