Chapter 191

In the Imperial City, the Imperial Study.

White lanterns swayed gently beneath the flying eaves; the warm autumn light was blocked by screens, and the room was filled with the curling smoke of incense.

Cao Fo'er stood sideways at the doorway, clutching a whisk, gazing toward the direction of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau where faint sounds could be heard.

On the soft couch in the study, Crown Prince Zhao Jinghuan was taking a midday nap, still holding a jade pendant carved with the Double-Pupiled Bird, also known as the Bird of Auspiciousness that wards off evil.

This pendant was a gift from the Imperial Father-in-law He Xiu; when Zhao Jinghuan was young, he loved birds and flowers and could not bear to part with it, so the strict Qian Emperor confiscated it, and only a few days ago did he get it back.

Zhao Jinghuan played with this jade pendant not for entertainment, but to recall the closest relatives who had accompanied him from childhood to now, yet were already separated by life and death.

Perhaps because thought leads to dreams, in the state between sleep and wakefulness, he seemed to see that ever-strict father again.

The Qian Emperor, wearing dragon robes, sat beside the soft couch and spoke softly:

"Your mother and I are doing very well in heaven; do not worry..."

"From now on, you are the Emperor of Great Qian. I wish to see the world united and all people living in peace, but alas, I could not achieve this in my lifetime; from now on, this burden is handed to you..."

Zhao Jinghuan looked at his deceased father who was so close, tears filling his eyes:

"Your son will surely not fail the expectations of the Imperial Father."

The Qian Emperor smiled lightly and added:

"Among all the schools and hundred philosophies, only Confucianism advocates kingly virtue and rule by morality, respecting the king and repelling the barbarians, and maintaining order from top to bottom.

"Immortals, Buddhas, martial artists, shamans, and demons, though divided into righteous and evil, do not have the world in their hearts, but rather 'the heavens above'; what they seek is nothing more than one person attaining the Dao and escaping the cycle of rebirth..."

Zhao Jinghuan responded in his half-dream, half-awake state:

"Your son will 'abolish the hundred schools and revere only Confucianism'?"

"Ah." The Qian Emperor waved his hand: "Too big a step, and it will easily throw the country into chaos. You are Fan Li's student; discuss these matters with Fan Li and Mu Yunling..."

The familiar voice circled his ears, then vanished at some unknown time.

Zhao Jinghuan suddenly woke from his nap, only to realize the old friend had long departed; it was merely a midday dream. He wiped the tear tracks from the corners of his eyes, sat alone for a moment, then gave orders:

"Fo'er, make preparations. Recently summon Mu Yunling of the Danyang Academy, Li Yanru of the Hualin Li family, and Xu Tong of the Jiangzhou Xu family to the capital; I wish to see them."

Cao Fo'er heard the Crown Prince suddenly summoning several great sages of Confucianism and felt somewhat puzzled, but since the Crown Prince was about to ascend the throne, discussing statecraft with famous Confucian scholars was reasonable, so he immediately nodded:

"Yes."

—

Night fell, and the Hou Fu of Danyang on Zheng'an Street was brightly lit.

Xie Jinhuan stood at the doorway, seeing off the drunken Uncle Fei, Yang Dabiao, and other relatives and friends, then raised his eyes to gaze at the northern stars and moon.

After resolving the factional disputes at noon, Zhang Zihu had obtained spoils from the Abbot of Fanyun Temple—thirty-six drops of Vajra Dew.

Although it was only a small victory, with the Landlady Bai Xi present, who believed in "finding reasons to party even when there are none," a celebration was certainly in order; coincidentally, the new residence was nearly ready, so the group discussed and decided to move!

Still in the period of national mourning, such matters were not suitable for grand celebrations; Duoduo had only summoned servants and cooks from Wang Fu to set up a few tables of family banquet inside the new residence.

He notified acquaintances such as Feiji, Yang Dabiao, and Liu Qingzhi to come; Wan Yi, Zisu, Linghu Qingmo, and others had a separate table in the rear courtyard; originally, he had also wanted to invite Seeing Bing Tuozi to meet the sisters.

But unfortunately, Seeing Bing Tuozi was busy and could not be found, which was a bit of a pity.

Xie Jinhuan, speaking of himself, was a lonely soul with only the big Meiqiu by his side; having so many relatives and friends support him filled his heart with emotion, so he spared no expense, setting out over ten jars of Hero's Tears on the table and letting Uncle Fei and others drink freely.

At this point, after three rounds of wine, the guests departed, and Xie Jinhuan inevitably thought of the old man serving as an official far in the north.

If the old man were here today, the atmosphere would surely be much livelier; one wonders what the old man is doing at this moment...

After pondering for a while, Xie Jinhuan returned to the main house and came to the lakeside in the rear courtyard.

There was a tea house by the lake, but its interior had been converted by the Landlady Bai Xi into an "Entertainment Room," surrounded by multi-treasure shelves holding dice cups, musical instruments, and other entertainment tools.

In the middle lay a velvet carpet with a nanmu low table, large enough for over a dozen Misses to sit in a circle; at this moment, it was filled with wine snacks, while reed mats were placed around the perimeter.

The Landlady Bai Xi still wore a mourning outfit; though she wore no makeup, she was exceedingly beautiful. She sat sideways in the main seat, rolling dice with the Poisonous Hand Medicine Girl, one of the "Twin Beauties of the Academy":

"Four, five, six! Big!"

"Hehe~ Three sixes!"

"Ah?"

Lin Zisu was dressed particularly beautifully today; a water-green short skirt outlined her budding figure, and her hair had been braided by her aunt into a very spirited style adorned with small flowers. She was currently gambling with the Princess; Zisu did not know if she had taken some medicine to enhance her perception, but anyway, she was winning more than losing.

Wan Yi, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, sat beside her with a very intellectual bun; she had somehow obtained a butterfly hairpin to pin her hair up. Combined with her dignified and intellectual demeanor, she looked very much like the First Lady; perhaps fearing that mischievous girls would sneak in drugs and cause some kind of unrestricted gathering, she kept watching Zisu's hands.

Meanwhile, Naiduo had been playing the pipa and watching the fun; noticing he had arrived, her eyes instantly sparkled, and she pouted, gesturing to the side.

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan did not disturb the refined enjoyment of the guests and turned to enter the main room.

The main room had two floors; the middle was a high-ceilinged hall with a plaque reading "Upright Gentleman" hanging above, while the left and right sides contained studies, bedrooms, bathrooms, and so on.

At this moment, a weapon rack had been added beneath the plaque; a nine-foot-long spear lay horizontally on top, and two sword stands stood on the left and right, used to display the Great Expansion Mace and the Righteousness Sword.

After glancing around, Xie Jinhuan heard movement on the second floor to the east, so he followed the stairs up to the second floor, only to find an empty room furnished with a cat climbing frame, a rattan ball, a small swing, and a multi-treasure shelf filled with dried meat and dried small fish.

On the wall even hung a painting of a "Bird Sword Immortal" wearing a bamboo hat and a cloak, which must have been the Landlady Bai Xi's handiwork.

Meiqiu, having grown this big, had He Ceng ever seen such a place of "extravagant luxury"? Perhaps feeling there was no further pursuit in this life, she squatted on the cat climbing frame in a daze, not knowing what she was thinking.

Linghu Qingmo, unable to hold her liquor, was wandering around with Meiqiu to sober up; at this moment, she stood nearby, examining her best friend's masterpiece.

Because she had come to attend the housewarming banquet and was especially delighted today, Mo Mo, naturally adhering to "a woman adorns herself for the one who appreciates her," had changed into a white skirt that floated with an immortal aura; her jet-black hair was half-pinned in a bun, with three thousand strands of green silk draped over her back, adorned with the hairpin he had given her, and a jade bracelet on her wrist. Her silhouette was tall and spirited, clear and otherworldly.

Xie Jinhuan walked quietly to her back, glanced slightly, and then:

Slap—

"Mm?!"

Linghu Qingmo was startled into a tremble; just as she turned around, her mouth was covered, and her willow eyebrows immediately stood up, wanting to electrocute this lecher.

But thinking of their current relationship, it was not appropriate to strike, so she stepped back one pace, frowned, and said:

"Why aren't you accompanying the guests? What are you doing here? I was just taking Meiqiu for a walk..."

Seeing that Mo Mo was not even angry about this, Xie Jinhuan decided to push his luck! He raised his hand and pinched her Bai Xi cheek:

"Dare to be rude to me again, and I'll report you to Mount Zihui!" Linghu Qingmo feared exactly this; now her master likely wouldn't side with her either. Her face flushed red, and she tried to walk out:

"I wasn't being rude to you. I'm going to the tea hall..."

"Eh~"

Xie Jinhuan grabbed her wrist and led her toward the corridor:

"I put in some effort today, so won't you show a little appreciation?"

Linghu Qingmo tried to pull her hand free, but since she couldn't, she let him keep holding it, pondering slightly:

"Hmm... you fought in the arena today and won beautifully. Congratulations, congratulations."

"And then?"

"And then..."

Linghu Qingmo knew what Xie Jinhuan wanted. After hesitating for a moment, she dawdled closer, and with lightning speed, pecked his cheek:

"Is that enough?"

Xie Jinhuan shook his head, walked to the window, and looked out at the garden's small lake.

Linghu Qingmo couldn't escape with her hand held, so she stood at the second-floor window in the breeze. After a moment of silence between them, noticing Xie Jinhuan wasn't speaking, she glanced sideways at his stern profile:

"What are you thinking about?"

"Waiting for you to lean on my shoulder."

"?"

Linghu Qingmo's eyes cooled; she turned her head, refusing to cooperate. But after a brief standoff, this stinky brother beside her simply waited stubbornly, still holding her hand so she couldn't leave.

Helpless, Linghu Qingmo could only tilt sideways silently, resting her cheek on his shoulder. Her expression was solemn, as if she were thinking about slaying demons and destroying evil...

At the same time, on a roof ridge far from the mansion.

Nangong Ye, dressed in a black skirt and wearing a veil hat, slightly poked her head from the ridge. Seeing the white-clad man and woman leaning together at the window, she felt she had arrived at the wrong time.

After the matter at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau ended, she naturally had to hold a meeting with Zhang Guan and others. Once finished, she returned to Fengyi River to tidy up, but by the time night fell, this child still hadn't arrived.

With the single duel against the demoness coming at the end of the month, she truly couldn't afford to dally with this child, so she came to check. Unexpectedly, she looked up and found her disciple and a yellow-haired rascal being sweet and loving.

Seeing the young man and woman with their first sparks of love, Nangong Ye's expression grew slightly complex, and she intended to leave.

But since Xie Jinhuan's housewarming banquet was happening, she might not eat, but since she had come, she at least had to offer congratulations, right?

For this reason, Nangong Ye chose to wait in the shadows for an opportunity, only to gain quite an education!

She saw Qingmo and this child being sweet at the window. Suddenly, a woman of peerless beauty with glasses appeared outside the main room. Pretending to admire the scenery, she was actually looking for a rival stealing her man. She crept upstairs quietly, then stopped behind the two:

"Ahem~"

Hearing the noise, Qingmo was startled and quickly stood straight. However, seeing that only Miss Lin had arrived, she didn't back down; instead, she said:

"Physician Lin, are you drunk and here to sleep? The sleeping quarters are in the west room."

Hearing this, Miss Lin's willow eyebrows shot up. She strode forward, looking as if she wanted to spar.

But Xie Jinhuan's mind was equally tough. Cornered on both sides, he didn't panic; instead, he raised his hand:

"Wanyi, you've arrived at the perfect time. The scenery here is quite nice..."

"The Princess is a guest in your home. Why aren't you accompanying her, but running here instead? Hey, hey..."

"Xie Jinhuan! You... let go!"

Two young women, one on each side, were held in the white-clad Young Master's arms. He pecked each one. Even as they were pinched at the waist, stepped on at the toes, and given electric shocks, they bore it without complaint. They managed to make both girls blush deeply, yet they were helpless, so they could only close their eyes and dodge everywhere.

Seeing this scene from afar, Nangong Ye's phoenix eyes revealed a hint of slight disdain, and she muttered silently:

"Such a proper gentleman! Yet as soon as he's in front of a girl, he becomes so..."

But this wasn't over. After a moment of such intimacy, the thin-skinned Qingmo simply couldn't take it and fled in panic to find her best friend for protection.

Miss Lin also wanted to run, but she couldn't escape. She was carried horizontally and taken into the room with the windows closed:

"Xie Jinhuan! There are guests in the house..."

"I won't do anything improper..."

"I don't believe you..."

Crackle, crackle, crash...

Because there really were guests in the house, this child clearly didn't dare to be too reckless. He came out not long after, but his movements were obviously very swift.

Miss Lin, with her flower-like face and moon-like beauty, came out looking a bit dazed. Her face was flushed, and she muttered softly, but she was clearly quite pleased...

Nangong Ye's expression was very strange. She really wanted to just leave, but unexpectedly, this child kept pulling new tricks!

After returning to the tea hall, Xie Jinhuan hugged the pipa again and started playing Great Qian electronic music.

Clang, clang, clang~~

Ling'er was pulled by Duoduo to start dancing. The Great Immortal Zisu, Mo Mo, was also pulled up. Finally, Physician Lin was forced to join in. Even Meiqiu ran over to perform a shamanistic dance. The tea hall instantly became a chaotic dance of demons:

"Goo-goo cluck-cluck..."

"Yes, make the movements bigger. Wanyi, don't be shy. Look at Mo Mo..."

"Wow~ Xie Lang is indeed the favorite of Empress Dowager Guo. With a look like this, who wouldn't be mesmerized..."

"Zisu! Don't talk nonsense..."

Seeing this scene, Nangong Ye took a deep breath and sighed silently:

If you have the ability, dance even more wildly?

A demon man from the Wu Sect, a favorite of Northern Zhou...

Even the prodigal sons of Jingcheng couldn't play this wildly...

Although the image of the righteous young hero lay in tatters, to be honest, this scene was far more restrained than what this fellow had done to her.

Nangong Ye felt his head buzzing; only after reciting the Calming Mantra countless times did he suppress his stray thoughts and secretly resolve that he would never indulge this fellow again today, allowing at most a touch with his hand.

He is only eighteen or nineteen and already so wild; when he one day reaches the peak of the mountain, will he not become the 'Ancestral Patriarch of Harmony and Joy'?

No, it should be the 'Ancestral Patriarch of Full Joy'.

This fellow's name was chosen with true caliber; one wonders whose hand crafted it...

(End of this chapter)