"Pfft..." Hearing this, Chen Tai, who was drinking tea, spat it out.
Li Mubai and Zhang Shen froze simultaneously, spinning around to stare at Xu Qian.
"The poet wasn't Yang Ling?"
*Little brother's skin must be itching—selling me out so smoothly...* Xu Qian steeled himself: "It was my pen name."
"Really?"
"Really!"
The two still didn't believe him. "What were you doing at the Bureau of Music?"
Xu Qian straightened his posture: "Youthful longing."
The room fell into sudden silence. The three Grand Confucian Masters felt a lump of old blood lodged in their chests—wanting to vomit but unable to.
After a few seconds, Zhang Shen stood, pointed at Xu Qian's nose: "You—you..."
He paced around the room, utterly agitated: "An eternal ode to the plum blossom—you wasted it on a pleasure house woman! Is she worthy? Is she worthy?"
*Yes, yes, it would be better used on you...* Xu Qian mentally grumbled while outwardly adopting the posture of a student receiving his teacher's admonition.
Li Mubai was equally emotional: "An ode to the plum blossom should remain an ode to the plum blossom. 'Gifted to Lady Fuxiang at Yingmei Pavilion'—it's vulgar, utterly tasteless. You've ruined a fine poem."
*If you could change it to 'Gifted to Teacher Mubai at White Deer Academy,' you'd probably squeal with delight...* Xu Qian complained inwardly.
Two lines of poetry achieving eternal fame—wasted on a pleasure house woman. It was indeed a waste. But things couldn't be viewed on the surface alone. Without this poem to win Lady Fuxiang's favor, how could he have extracted useful intelligence?
How could he have framed Zhou Li?
Without framing Zhou Li, what if Vice Minister Zhou had survived the ordeal? What if his political enemies had failed to bring him down?
What fate would await the Xu family then?
The poetry was plagiarized anyway—he felt no attachment. Besides, what use were his stockpiles of verse if they couldn't solve his immediate problems?
The finest poetry, when converted into concrete benefit, was the poetry that truly mattered.
Chen Tai sighed inwardly. His initial shock at learning Yang Ling was Xu Qian's alias had given way to grudging acceptance. Upon reflection, it made sense.
Such poetic talent couldn't simply appear out of nowhere.
"Li Mubai and Zhang Shen took him as a disciple—so can I... If there can be two teachers, why not three?" Grand Confucian Master Chen silently resolved to recruit this poetic talent to his own tutelage at the first opportunity.
After enduring a verbal barrage, Xu Qian meekly admitted his faults and promised that in the future, whenever he produced fine poems or ci, he would let his two teachers revise and polish them first.
Li Mubai and Zhang Shen finally calmed down, albeit reluctantly.
Beyond their regret at having missed a poem for the ages, the two Grand Confucian Masters genuinely believed that Xu Qian had wasted this poem on a Bureau of Music courtesan queen.
A criminal waste.
Xu Xinnian, displaying some conscience, appropriately came to smooth things over and redirect the conversation: "My young sister has been studying at the academy for some time. Has there been any progress?"
The three Grand Confucian Masters exchanged glances. Chen Tai couldn't help but laugh: "That sister of yours—truly a spirit of iron will, unbreakable."
Zhang Shen said helplessly: "In ten days, we went through four different teachers for her."
Li Mubai added: "All of them swore they would never tutor young children again."
Xu Cijiu and Xu Ningyan: "..."
...
The small courtyard. A family reunited after long separation.
The aunt greeted her husband and precious son with joy. Second Uncle likewise embraced his youngest daughter and wife.
Xu Lingyin saw her father and grief overwhelmed her. She grabbed his leg and burst into wails.
Second Uncle felt a pang of protectiveness, thinking his daughter had suffered under the academy's strict teachers.
Xu Lingyue, wearing an indigo silk robe, stood to one side. The young woman's thin oval face wore a faint smile as she watched the scene.
She was too old to throw herself into her father's arms without reservation like her little sister, and as a daughter rather than a son, she didn't receive the same parental affection as her eldest brother.
The middle child always occupied an awkward position.
"You've grown thinner in ten days." Xu Qian walked over, took his sister's delicate hand, and studied her carefully.
Her slender waist, cinched with a sash, could be spanned by his hands. Her chest was beginning to swell—the budding figure of a young woman, irresistibly alluring.
Her oval face and large eyes were flawless from any angle. She lacked a certain feminine languor, but possessed the pure, fresh beauty and vivacity of youth.
Xu Lingyue instinctively tried to withdraw her hand, then held back. The warmth of her brother's palm brought a flush to her cheeks, and her eyes shimmered as she called softly: "Big brother..."
On the ride home, Xu Lingyue made the unprecedented request to ride horseback. Since she didn't know how, with her father's permission, she shared a mount with Xu Qian.
The sun was warm, the wind cool against the face. Riding in deep winter was like riding a motorcycle in freezing January—without a helmet.
Xu Lingyue, being a young woman, pressed herself tightly against Xu Qian, her bright eyes taking in the scenery, feeling a surge of security she had never known.
Xu Xinnian also had a sister in his arms.
"Second Brother, the bouncing is making me nauseous..."
"Then go back to the carriage."
"I won't! I want to ride on your shoulders."
Second Young Master's brow furrowed in exasperation.
The aunt lifted the carriage curtain, revealing her beautiful face.
"Husband, while I was away from the residence, did you go gallivanting?"
Xu Xinnian and Xu Qian answered in unison: "No."
The aunt sized them both up—I wasn't asking you two, how meddlesome.
...
Three days later. Rest day.
Morning. Xu Qian was fiddling with the jade mirror. Reflected in its surface were the ghostly images of a military crossbow, a bronze mirror, and a broadsword—like a painting with blurred brushstrokes.
He was currently using the mirror as a makeshift storage bag, tossing all manner of odds and ends inside.
He went to the main house and ate breakfast. At the table, Xu Lingyue, wearing an expectant expression, said: "Big brother has a rest day today. Come shopping with me."
Second Uncle remembered the recent Zhou Li horse-riding incident and frowned: "I'm also off today. Lingyue, Dad will take you out."
Xu Lingyue considered for a moment, then shook her head: "Actually, I've suddenly developed a headache."
Second Uncle: "???"
*Morning: listen to tunes at the pleasure house. Noon: nap at home. Evening: visit the black market. I need to break through to Qi Refining as soon as possible...* Xu Qian's mind wandered.
At that moment, Old Zhang the gatekeeper hurried in: "My Lords, there are two officers at the gate."
"Officers?" Xu Pingzhi took a sip of plain porridge, asking casually: "Officers from where?"
Second Young Master said: "Elder Brother, are they your colleagues?"
Xu Qian wasn't particularly concerned: "Probably not."
Old Zhang said: "This servant doesn't know, but they wear black uniforms and have strange copper gongs strapped to their chests."
The three Xu men's hands trembled. They exchanged a wordless look, each reading gravity in the other's eyes.
The Night Watchmen!
"Show them in immediately." Xu Pingzhi rose and headed for the front hall.
Xu Qian and Xu Xinnian followed behind, their minds racing as they considered the Night Watchmen's purpose.
In the Great Feng Dynasty, the words "Night Watchman" carried no pleasant connotation. They were invariably linked to arrest, imprisonment, and property confiscation—blood-chilled terms.
But in his heart, Xu Qian knew that at Second Uncle's rank, the Night Watchmen would normally look the other way.
Soon, the three met the visitors in the front hall.
Two men in standard black uniforms, with short capes trailing behind them, and copper gongs carved with complex inscriptions strapped to their chests.
Both Night Watchmen were young. The one on the left had a stern, humorless expression. The one on the right was the exact opposite—a smile on his face, eyes narrowed to slits.
The squinting young man swept his gaze over the three Xu men and asked: "Which one is Xu Qian?"
Xu Qian stepped forward: "I am."
The squinting young man nodded: "Come with us."
Xu Pingzhi's brow twitched. He stepped in front of Xu Qian, clasped his fists, and said in a low voice: "Gentlemen—what offense has my nephew committed?"
The stern-faced young man frowned.
The other one smiled: "Do nothing wrong by day, and you need not fear the Night Watchman by night."
Given the Night Watchmen's reputation, if they resisted arrest, would they draw their swords on the spot? Xu Qian placed one hand on Second Uncle's shoulder and looked at the two officers: "Fine. I'll go with you."
He left the Xu residence with the Night Watchmen. A carriage waited at the gate. The stern-faced officer pointed to the cabin, indicating Xu Qian should enter.
The perpetually smiling young man removed the copper gong from his chest, struck it a resounding blow, and called out in a clear voice: "The air is dry, the fire risk high—mind the candles!"
The Night Watchmen's headquarters was in the inner city, far from the Xu residence—a walk of several hours. The carriage was not a special courtesy; it was simply to save time.
The humorless Night Watchman drove. Inside the cabin, Xu Qian sat across from the smiling young man.
*What do the Night Watchmen want with me? For the Zhou Li case? Impossible—I can't guarantee a perfect crime, but I can guarantee that in the Great Feng Dynasty, with no surveillance technology, they couldn't have possibly determined I kidnapped the second Miss Zhang. Even if there were traces, they wouldn't have identified me this quickly...*
Xu Qian reached into his robe, tapped the back of the jade mirror, andtipped out a banknote. He pulled it out and glanced at it—ten taels. He breathed a sigh of relief.
He offered the note earnestly: "I'm a law-abiding citizen who admires the gentlemen for their service to the nation. Please accept ten taels for tea."
"If you could tell me what's happening, I would be most grateful."
The Night Watchman's gaze fell on the banknote. His eyes narrowed into slits, his expression radiating harmlessness: "Night Watchmen have strict rules. Accepting a bribe of more than ten taels: fifty strokes. More than fifty taels: exile. More than a hundred: beheading."
"Obviously, I have no need to take a beating for ten taels."
Xu Qian showed an embarrassed smile and was about to retract the note when the squinting young man drawled: "You want me to divulge information... the price goes up!"
Without a trace of emotion, Xu Qian produced thirty taels.
The young man smiled, eyes narrowing further. He pocketed two of the notes, then passed the third through the curtain: "Thirty taels received—ten each for us. The remaining ten goes tonight to the Bureau of Music for a tea gathering. That's five apiece."
The humorless Night Watchman took the note and grunted a low "Hmm."
The squinting young man crossed his legs and said to Xu Qian with a grin: "Rules are important, of course. But when everyone tacitly ignores them, being too principled actually earns you exclusion."