The second uncle Xu and Xu Lingyue noticed her abnormality and turned to look out of the hall.
In the night, Xu Qi 'an, dressed in a sky-blue brocade robe and holding a jar of wine in his hand, walked to the halo of the lanterns under the eaves.
With another step, he crossed the threshold and entered the inner hall.
"Ning Yan!"
The second uncle Xu's face lit up with joy. He suddenly got up and greeted his nephew.
Aunt and Lingyue also smiled, but the former immediately snorted and put on a cold posture, while the latter was happy like a little girl. She stood up with her father and greeted her eldest brother.
"Second uncle, I'm back."
Xu Qi 'an said with a smile.
"I'm back" was enough for a wanderer to come back.
"It's good that you're back." The second uncle Xu patted his nephew on the shoulder, took the wine from his hand, and turned to his aunt's personal maid, Lü 'e, and said,
"Prepare bowls and chopsticks for Dalang."
Xu Lingyue seized the opportunity and shouted softly,
"Eldest brother ~ ~"
Her tone was quite light, showing the girl's joy at the moment.
Xu Qi 'an looked at his eldest sister and smiled gently,
"I haven't seen you for a while, and you've become more beautiful."
She, who had perfectly inherited her aunt's beauty, was outstanding in terms of appearance, elegant and refined, with exquisite facial features.
Xu Lingyue's smile became sweeter, and she complained softly,
"Eldest brother, you didn't send someone to inform us in advance when you came back today, so that I could make some of your favorite dishes."
The three of them immediately sat down at the table. After Lü 'e brought the bowls and chopsticks, Xu Qi' an and Second Uncle drank and chatted, talking about Erlang in Yongzhou.
"Ning Yan, since you've returned to the capital, you must have heard the news that Qingzhou has fallen."
The second uncle Xu took a sip of wine and said,
"Then you must have gone to Yongzhou to see Erlang. Your aunt has been worried about Erlang. I told her that even if something happened to Erlang, you would have come back to inform us long ago. "
Xu Qi 'an's expression froze for a moment,
"Qingzhou has been lost for some time. Didn't Second Uncle write to ask about Erlang's situation?"
Second Uncle Xu's expression also froze for a moment.
Uncle and nephew looked at each other in silence.
Although it's a little inappropriate, what's with this familiar deja vu? It feels like something similar has happened in the past … Xu Qi 'an pondered for a moment and said,
"It's okay. The three great scholars of Yunlu Academy are in Yongzhou. They will take good care of Erlang."
Second Uncle Xu could only comfort himself in this way.
"You're right."
At this time, Xu Lingyue found an opportunity to interrupt.
"Big Brother, why do you smell like cosmetics?"
Hearing this, the second Uncle Xu immediately looked at his nephew with a look that said, "You're too young to be reliable."
"Huh? Is it that heavy?" Xu Qi'an sniffed it in surprise and said calmly,
"Just now, I was drinking with a few colleagues in the yamen. There was a girl accompanying me at the banquet, but I just wanted to come back to see Second Uncle, Aunt, and you, sister. I'll be back soon."
Xu Lingyue replied with an "oh" and smiled. She was very satisfied with this answer.
"The main thing is that there are no green oranges to buy at night, and Lingyin is not at home. I can't see her eat green oranges with a ferocious face …" Xu Qi'an muttered in his heart.
With Xu Lingyue's interruption, the family forgot about Erlang again.
Xu Pingzhi pondered for a moment and said,
"I heard that Princess Royal is going to ascend the throne."
Xu Qi'an told him the general situation, including the reason why he must abolish Yongxing.
"What a precarious situation."
Second Uncle Xu sighed and said,
"What's your plan after Princess Royal ascends the throne?"
Xu Qi'an thought for a moment and said carefully,
"I'll go to Qingzhou first and meet Xu Pingfeng. I'll formally draw a line with him and have a life-and-death battle."
This would be him officially representing Daibun and himself to issue a challenge to Yunzhou and Xu Pingfeng as a chess player.
Xu Pingzhi's expression was complicated. There was sadness, helplessness, sorrow, pain, and all sorts of emotions.
He murmured, "Flesh and blood, father and son fighting each other. How can this be …"
Xu Qi'an shook his head.
"Second Uncle, he is not my father. You are my father.
"There must be a life-and-death battle between us. He won't let me go, and I won't let him go either. I'll chase him to the ends of the earth, and I won't stop until I die. "
He poured wine for Xu Pingzhi and said,
"Xu Pingfeng has no way out. He knows that I won't let him go. Of course, I won't either."
Auntie said,
"I'll get the clan to cross off his name and expel him from the Xu clan."
Auntie would definitely support her nephew without hesitation. Although this nephew was annoying and didn't know how to speak, he was still a child that she had raised.
Xu Pingfeng was her husband's elder brother, not her elder brother.
"Thank you, Auntie."
It was rare for Xu Qi 'an to speak like a normal person.
He continued, "Second Uncle, I have a younger brother and sister in Yunzhou. They came to the capital with the Yunzhou envoys purely to annoy me.
"I've locked them up in the Celestial Commissioner's office."
He immediately told Second Uncle about Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai, as well as their encounter in Yongzhou.
"They don't sound like bad people. After all, they are the blood of our Xu clan," Second Uncle Xu said earnestly.
"Bring them back when you have time. Don't mistreat them."
Xu Lingyue suddenly said,
"Father, why would Big Brother mistreat them? Even if they are hostile to Big Brother and follow the rebels in Yunzhou to kill Big Brother, even if Big Brother suffers all kinds of grievances, he won't hurt them for the sake of his own flesh and blood."
Xu Pingzhi was about to nod, but he was startled by his aunt's angry slamming of the table.
"Bah, they are just two bad guys. Why did you bring them back?"
His aunt said angrily, "Don't bring them back."
"Why are you so angry …" Second Uncle Xu tried to reason with his wife.
Xu Qi'an glanced at his eldest sister and hurriedly said,
"Okay, okay, there's no need to quarrel because of them. Second Uncle, let's drink."
Xu Lingyue said sweetly,
"Big Brother, let's drink."
She obediently poured wine for him.
"Look at that sister from Yunzhou. She only wants to hurt you, unlike me, who only cares about Big Brother."
…
At dawn, the sky was just getting brighter.
Drums and music were playing in the palace, forming a magnificent movement.
The coronation ceremony was extremely complicated. First, the minister of the Ministry of Rites led the officials to worship the heaven and earth for the new emperor.
After that, the new emperor wore mourning clothes to worship the ancestors in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
After these two steps were completed, the coronation ceremony began.
The minister of the Ministry of Rites led the officials of the Ministry of Rites to the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of Agriculture, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple to inform the gods and the spirits of the previous emperors that the new emperor was about to succeed the throne.
When they returned, the ceremonial music was played, and the magnificent sound of the bell echoed outside the Hall of Golden Throne.
East Palace.
Huaiqing put on a big fur crown with the help of the palace maids.
The structure of this uniform was extremely complicated, consisting of a crown, a middle single, a big fur coat, a black robe, and a silk robe. The crown was decorated with gold, and there were twelve beads.
The upper garment was embroidered with six patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and insects. The lower garment was embroidered with six patterns of seaweed, fire, pink rice, Zong Yi, Yu, and Fu. There were a total of twelve patterns, so it was also called the Twelve Patterns Clothes.
After dressing up, two palace maids moved a bronze mirror as tall as a person and placed it in front of Huaiqing.
In the bronze mirror, Princess Royal wore light makeup and thick eyebrows, highlighting her valiant spirit.
She was originally a cold and noble woman. Now that she was wearing the Twelve Patterns Clothes and the Twelve Patterns Crown, she exuded a luxurious and dignified aura.
Even the First Palace Maid, who was usually cheerful, didn't dare to breathe at this moment. She lowered her head and brows, as docile as a quail.
It was rare to see such a domineering woman in the world.
An official from the Ministry of Rites stepped into the East Palace, and through the curtain, he said respectfully,
"Your Highness, it's time."
Huaiqing responded with a "hmm". Surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, she left the East Palace and headed for the Hall of Golden Throne amidst the magnificent sound of bells and drums.
After crossing the Golden Water Bridge and passing through the square, Huaiqing walked on top of the Emperor of Elixirs. She looked at the Hall of Golden Throne in front of her, and could vaguely see the high and mighty throne in the magnificent hall.
What flashed through her mind were Yuan Jing, who was naturally suspicious and couldn't tolerate his talented son to be in power; Wei Yuan, who had gray hair at his temples; Daibun's guardian Supervisor, who took every conceivable possibility into account; and Yongxing, who was weak and incompetent and lacked courage.
When she waved her big sleeves and sat on the throne, there was no one in her eyes anymore.
Everything had gone!
The future was her era. No, it was her and Xu Qi 'an era.
She and he were the two people who stood at the peak of power in Daibun today.
The civil and military officials entered through the Meridian Gate under the guidance of the officials from the Ministry of Rites. After crossing the Golden Water Bridge, they orderly stood on both sides of the imperial road according to their ranks.
Then, Qian Qingshu, the Grand Secretary of the Hall of Martial Valor, held the imperial edict and handed it to the Minister of the Ministry of Rites to carry it down the stairs. Then, he handed it to the officials of the Ministry of Rites. He placed it on a cloud plate and handed it to the eunuch of the Department of Rites.
The eunuch of the Department of Rites, who was wearing a red robe, bowed and took the cloud plate, then read the edict to the officials.
"The edict reads:
"In the past, the Emperor Gaozu flew across the Jihe River and swept away the flood. He reached Mount Jing in the east and instructed Buddhism in the west. His benevolence and righteousness shook the world. He swept away the stubborn disease of the Great Zhou and restored the peace of the four seas. In the past six hundred years, the four seas were peaceful. His glorious achievements were restored to the emperor.
"Brother Yongxing, who was born of a concubine, inherited the great cause. He was unfilial, muddle-headed and weak. He did not respect the ancestors and did not love the people. He flattered the rebels and angered both men and gods.
"I am a woman. I am blessed by the heavens and the spirits of my ancestors. I received orders in times of crisis and gathered heroes and virtuous people. Today, the civil and military officials, the Hundred Ministers, and the common people have come together to urge me to be the Emperor and rule Qian Li.
"Reluctantly, I will be the Emperor on the 17th of the first month. My reign will be named 'Huaiqing'. Since the ceremony has been completed, all the concubine's governance should be carried out at the same time. "
After that!
On both sides of the imperial road, the civil and military officials knelt down and shouted:
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
The shouts were like a tsunami, deafening.
On the throne, Huaiqing looked down at the hundreds of officials as if she was the ruler of the world.
…
At the Eight Trigrams Platform in the Stargazing Tower.
Mu Nanzi, who was wearing a gorgeous peach-colored dress, stood at the edge of the Eight Trigrams Platform. She gently took off the bracelet on her right wrist.
The wind blew her skirt and hair. She looked like a fairy from the Yaotai, the most beautiful in the world.
She raised her right arm, and her sleeve slid down. Her wrist was covered with frost.
Mu Nanzhi closed her eyes and recited in a low voice, "I'm going to say,
"I wish for the flowers to bloom in the capital and the world to be filled with their fragrance!"
In the void that mortals could not see, the seeds of life flowed out of her body and floated with the wind.
They floated past the riverside, where the willow trees sprouted.
They floated past the courtyard, where the courtyard was full of purple and red. They floated past the streets and alleys, where the plants grew wildly and flowers bloomed in an instant.
Looking down from the sky, one could see the colors of purple and red spreading all over the capital. The fragrance of the flowers floated, making one feel relaxed and happy.
…
The history books of later generations recorded:
In the first year of Huaiqing, on the 17th of the first month, the Empress ascended the throne. In an instant, the flowers bloomed in the capital, and the fragrance spread for ten miles. It was an auspicious sign. The people in the capital were wild with joy. They went out of their homes, knelt on the streets, and shouted "Long live the Empress".
What the history books did not record was that on the day the flowers bloomed all over the city, Xu Yinluo spent the whole day arranging flowers in the Celestial Commissioner's Stargazing Tower.
…
Mu Nanzhi's vision darkened and she collapsed to the ground.
She did not fall to the ground. Instead, she fell into Xu Qi 'an's arms.
"Take a rest!"
Xu Qi 'an hugged the old auntie's waist. He felt that this was the best thing in the world.
Mu Nanzhi's body went limp in his arms. She felt dizzy and murmured,
"It's … it's all your fault. My head hurts …"
Her half-coquettish and half-angry look could soften a man's bones.
Xu Qi 'an raised his hand and gently rubbed between her eyebrows. He sighed:
"There are thousands of beauties in the world, but the Goddess of Flowers is the only one."
Mu Nanzi frowned.
"Cut the crap. I won't do Dual Cultivation with you again even if you talk too much. After I help you advance to the second level, we'll be even. If you force me again, I'll become a monk. "
Xu Qi 'an couldn't tell if she was being arrogant or because she had an unforgettable first night.
"I know, I know!"
He picked up the beautiful auntie and left the Eight Trigrams Stage.
Mu Nanzhi was fine, but she had used up a lot of energy. She was exhausted, so she felt uncomfortable all over.
The Immortal Tree's Spiritual Essence was still awakening, so the power she could use was limited. Mu Nanzi was struggling to perform the Flower Blooming all over the city.
"Do you still feel bad?"
Xu Qi 'an poured her a cup of warm water and channeled some Qi into it.
Mu Nanzi felt dizzy and groaned:
"I want to rest …"
"Let's do Dual Cultivation. It can help you recover quickly." Xu Qi 'an took the opportunity to suggest.
He wasn't bluffing. When she was exhausted, Dual Cultivation could help her recover faster than natural recovery.
"No, if you touch me, I'll become a monk." Mu Nanzi shook her head and said:
"Shameless."
She weakly lay on her side on the bed, her feet kicking weakly a few times as if she wanted to kick off the embroidered shoes, but she failed.
Xu Qi 'an grabbed her feet and helped her to take off her shoes and socks.
"Let me massage them for you. You'll feel better …"
"Just massage my feet. Don't think about doing anything else."
"Am I that kind of person?"
"Yes, yes, please be gentle …"
…
In the Yunlu Academy.
Zhao Shou had fasted for two days. Today, he took a bath and put on a new robe. He combed his hair and put on a Confucian crown.
His white beard was trimmed with a razor.
Suddenly, he looked like a new person. He was totally different from the previous unrestrained and arrogant scholar.
Zhao Shou withdrew a bamboo book box from a cabinet that had been sealed for a long time. He carefully wiped off the dust on the book box with a towel, and then he carried it on his back and left Yunlu Academy.
It was just like the time when he traveled thousands of miles to the capital to study at the Yunlu Academy.
After experiencing so many things, he seemed to be a teenager again.
On the official road to the capital, there was a reading voice:
"… Study hard when you are young, and you can make a name for yourself. The imperial court is full of scholars … Don't say that the Confucian crown is wrong. Reading will not disappoint people …"
…
When Mu Nanzi woke up, it was already dark. There was no candle in the room, so it was dark.
Was it dark? She slept for so long? She was in a daze. She sat up with difficulty and put her hand on her forehead. After more than ten seconds, her drowsy mind gradually became clear. She remembered the spell "A Thought Blossoms" during the day.
She didn't expect to recover so fast … Except for the dizziness, Mu Nanzi felt that her body was in excellent condition. Her Dantian was warm as if she was hugging a stove.
When she was about to lift the quilt and get up, she suddenly felt something was wrong. Her back was cold, and she found that she was naked. Her dress was taken off.
Then, she remembered what happened after she went back to the room with Xu Qi'an.
He pinched her feet, and then he pinched her legs, and then … inexplicably, she practiced dual cultivation with him.
"Shameless." Mu Nanzi took out the pillow on her back and smashed it on the ground angrily.
"Can I still sleep on this pillow!"
She lifted the quilt and got out of bed. Her hands touched the ground beside the bed for a long time, and finally found her dress. She put it on quickly, and then she felt that the root of her thighs was wet.
Flower God was a person who loved cleanliness and was also a lazy woman. When she thought that she had to fetch water for a bath, she became angry.
After putting on the dress, she fumbled to the table and lit the candles to dispel the darkness.
The room was quiet. Shirohime was not there, the broken sword was not there, and the Buddha's Pagoda was also not there. This made Mu Nanzi guess that the bastard man might still be in the Celestial Commissioner.
She lit the candles in the room one by one and went behind the screen. With the help of the bright candlelight, she saw that the bathtub was full of clean and clear water. It was definitely not the water that they had dirtied last time.
Mu Nanzi slightly raised the corner of her mouth, and then quickly put on a straight face. She snorted.
"Stinky man, at least he still has some conscience …"
…
In the underground of the Celestial Commissioner.
Xu Qi'an sat in front of Zhong Li and said suspiciously.
"Are you sure that if I knock enough times, I can get the Supervisor's trump card?"
Zhong Li sat in front of him like a duck to make sure that she was a little taller than Xu Qi'an. She said in a weak voice,
"The Chaotic Life Hammer is related to fate and fate. Teacher's notes also said that those who are blessed by fate can be enlightened by hammering it. So, it must be for you. "
"But other than being a prostitute in a brothel, a martial artist, and a scholar, nothing has changed." Xu Qi'an frowned.
Zhong Li said in a low voice,
"That's not the point. The point is teacher's purpose. What is his purpose of leaving the Chaotic Life Hammer? To enlighten you? But you are a Second Stage Cultivator, so you don't need it. "
After saying that, she tilted her head and looked like she was testing him.
"Patter ~ ~" Xu Qi'an flicked her forehead and scolded with a smile,
"Are you testing my reasoning?"
He immediately stopped smiling and thought for a moment. Then he analyzed,
"Although the Supervisor suffered a setback, with his wisdom, he must have some trump cards just in case. Even ordinary people know how to prepare for a rainy day, let alone him.
"So, if Daibun loses him, the most fatal shortcoming is the lack of top-notch extraordinary power. Thinking in this direction, it is not difficult to conclude that the Supervisor must have a way to make up for the disparity in power between the two sides.
"The Chaotic Life Hammer is related to fate, enlightening …"
As his thoughts became clearer, an idea suddenly flashed in Xu Qi'an's mind, like a bolt of lightning striking his brain.
He looked at the small wooden hammer in Zhong Li's hand with a fiery gaze, and his body began to tremble with excitement.
He knew the real use of the Chaotic Life Hammer.
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