After Aunt Zhang left, Xu Qi'an led the little mare into the yard and tied it to the trunk of the little banyan tree.
At this time, he realized that in just a few days, the originally bleak yard was filled with beautiful flowers. Bees and butterflies danced among the flowers.
The air was mixed with the fresh scent of flowers.
Xu Qi'an glanced around and saw many expensive varieties, some of which were as high as ten taels of silver.
He knew the price of these expensive varieties because his aunt had been playing with the potted plants every day. In spring, she had invested more than two hundred taels of silver in this area.
Of course, Xu Qi'an would not ask how much his aunt spent on the expensive flowers. It was not his money anyway. The main reason was that his aunt's beloved potted plants were knocked over by Xu Lingyin from time to time.
Every time, his aunt would fly into a rage and scold her. Then, she would nag, "Do you know how much these flowers are worth, you stupid child?"
"What's up with these flowers?" Xu Qi 'an asked calmly.
"The yard is too monotonous, so I bought some flowers to plant in the yard," the princess said calmly.
"The money I gave you can't afford these flowers …" Xu Qi'an muttered in his heart. On the surface, he calmly said, "Oh." He acted like he was just asking casually and had no interest in the flowers.
In his heart, he thought that if she bought the seeds, then it would make sense. In half a day, she could grow the seeds into a scene of flowers in the yard. Was this the ability of the Flower Goddess? If he threw this woman into the desert, it would be a blessing to the world.
Following this train of thought, he thought of the small lotus root. If the princess cultivated the lotus root, could she bring it back to life?
The Jinlian Taoist priest said that natural treasures could not be cultivated alone, but what if the one cultivating it was the Flower Goddess?
Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an was a little excited, but he maintained his calm.
Seeing his lack of interest, the princess secretly sighed in relief.
"What happened to Aunt Zhang just now?" Xu Qi'an asked as he walked into the house.
He followed the fragrance into the house, walked to the stove, and opened the lid of the pot. The pot was boiling salted peanuts with some spices.
"She lives nearby. A few days ago, she fell outside our … my house. I felt sorry for her, so I helped her. After that, she often came over to help me. The peanuts were also delivered by her. "
The princess sat on a small wooden stool with a small bowl on her lap and said,
"Her son is in the medicine business. It is said that he has several shops in the inner and outer city. Because her daughter-in-law didn't like her, her son bought a small courtyard nearby to accommodate his old mother. She told everyone she met how filial her son was and how he bought her a house. "
Xu Qi'an leaned against the stove and ate the salted peanuts. He threw the peanut shells at her feet and grunted, "What happened just now?"
Wang Fei pulled back her feet and glared at him. She said with a cold smile, "I said that my husband is dead, and the ruffian next door covets my beauty. He has tried to use force on me several times to take advantage of me.
"I sold the house and moved here. I didn't expect him to come looking for me and said that he would come and stay every two days. "
Xu Qi'an said disdainfully, "Covets your beauty? Princess, you should look in the mirror first. "
The princess said angrily, "You are not allowed to eat my peanuts."
"I will."
"You are not allowed to eat."
"I will."
Xu Qi'an spent the whole morning in the princess's small courtyard. He sat in the courtyard and helped her weave bamboo baskets, repair wooden barrels, make small hoes, chop firewood … He also built a small stove in the courtyard for her to boil water.
While he was working, the princess sat on the bamboo chair and watched, a little absent-minded.
When it was almost time, she quietly got up and went to the kitchen to cook a few dishes.
"Is it delicious?"
At the dining table, she held her chin in her hand and blinked at Xu Qi'an.
"It's really f * cking disgusting …" Xu Qi'an said hypocritically, "My cooking skills have improved."
The princess suddenly smiled, her eyes like crescent moons, and snorted, "Then you can finish it all."
"What about you?"
"I'm not hungry. I'm full of peanuts."
Xu Qi'an nodded and buried his head in the food. Not long after, he finished all the dishes she cooked, except for licking the plate. The princess looked at him blankly, a little surprised.
She was very clear about her cooking skills. After all, her tongue would not lie.
"That's how life is. Plain tea and plain food are the real deal.
As Xu Qi'an spoke, he glanced at the proud princess. She seemed to be a little touched, and her eyes softened a lot, but she hid it well.
Seeing this, he reached into his arms, gently touched the mirror, and poured out a small piece of lotus root.
"I didn't deliberately break my promise to not accompany you on this trip to Sword Province." Xu Qi'an sincerely apologized.
"Who needs your company?" The princess curled her lips and turned her head away.
"It's not a wasted trip. I found something interesting." Xu Qi'an put the lotus root on the table and said, "It was given to me by a senior. It's said to be a treasure, but it has withered. "
The color of the lotus root was dim, and there were many wrinkles on its surface.
"What is this?" The princess's attention was attracted.
"I'm not sure. Anyway, it's said to be a treasure." Xu Qi'an sighed.
"This thing is quite important to me, but it seems that I can't keep it alive. Even if it has withered, it's still a kind of medicine. At least it's not a wasted trip. "
Mu Nanzi was very sensitive about her identity. Xu Qi'an did not want her to know that he had seen through her true identity, lest it caused her unnecessary panic.
The princess thought for a moment, took the lotus root, wiped it on her sleeve, and then showed her white teeth and took a bite.
Xu Qi'an was caught off guard and could not stop her in time.
The princess chewed a few mouthfuls, swallowed it, and commented happily, "It's quite sweet. Well, it's still alive. It'll be fine after a while. "
“！！！”
Xu Qi'an's heart trembled, and great joy engulfed him. He did not expect that a random attempt could get such a response.
If this small lotus root could be cultivated successfully, there would be a second Nine-Colored Lotus in the world. It could grow on its own and form a lotus head …
Xu Qi 'an had witnessed the miraculous power of lotus seeds. From now on, he would be able to obtain 24 lotus seeds every 60 years.
This, this …
In addition, if the lotus root could grow, the condition of the Ancestor of the Wulin League would be met. If he could use the lotus root to advance to the second class, he would owe him a huge favor.
In the future, when he had a showdown with the Mystery Warlock, the Ancestor of the Wulin League would be one of his biggest trump cards.
Xu Qi'an's heart was secretly burning. He tried to suppress his excitement and said calmly, "Then you can try. Well, if you can't raise it, remember to return it to me. I have other uses for it. "
If I can't raise it, I'll take it to the Grand Master.
The princess nodded.
Wait, why did the Grand Master ask me to ask for this lotus root? She is the Taoist leader of Renzong. She should know that the Nine-Colored Lotus Root is difficult to cultivate, so her purpose is probably to make medicine.
But if it's to make medicine, why did she ask me to ask for it? Is she just saying it casually, or does she have other purposes?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at the princess.
It shouldn't be, Luo Yuheng can't know that she was secretly raised by me. Well, I'm not familiar with the Grand Master and I don't know her well, so I can't make a hasty conclusion.
I had thought that the Princess Consort was just a mascot. As long as she was beautiful, everything would be fine. I didn't expect that she would give me such a big surprise. Every fish in my fish pond is useful … Xu Qi 'an sighed sincerely.
At this time, the princess hesitated and said timidly, "I, I've spent all my money …"
Speaking of this, it seemed that she was not used to asking a man for money, because it would make her look like a concubine. So she turned her face and said in a low voice,
"Can, can you give me a little more?"
Didn't I just give you 15 taels before I left? You've spent it in five days? Xu Qi'an looked at her but didn't say anything.
Sensing his silence, the princess suddenly turned her head and looked at him, then turned her face away and said coldly, "If you don't want to give it to me, then forget it."
She felt a little wronged.
Xu Qi'an poured out five silver ingots from the fragments of the Book of the Underworld. Each ingot was 10 taels, and he placed them on the table one by one. Then, he crushed them like a sesame seed cake and pinched them into grains.
"You're a woman, so it's best not to use official silver and silver ingots. Silver fragments are enough. This way, it won't attract unwanted attention. What I was thinking was that when I gave you the silver ingots last time, I didn't consider this. I blame myself.
"Since I can't always accompany you, I should pay attention to these details. This is my mistake, it won't happen again. "
His tone was sincere, and his expression was sincere.
The princess was still looking at the door, but her voice was a little soft as she hummed, indicating that she wasn't angry anymore.
…
For the next half of the day, Xu Qi 'an took the princess to the market. They bought rouge, face powder, vegetables, oil, salt, and a beautiful dress. Before dusk, they left with the little mare that had been left alone for half a day.
As soon as he left, Auntie Zhang came to see him.
Looking at the big and small bags in the house, Aunt Zhang was shocked. "Lady Mu, your man left? Tsk tsk, you bought so many things, it must have cost a few dozen taels. "
Aunt Zhang glanced at the bags and realized that they were all feminine items. She exclaimed, "Oh my, your man is so good to you."
The princess was a little proud, but she would not reveal her true nature in front of outsiders. She said in a dignified and gentle manner, "My man is a housekeeper for a rich family.
He doesn't come home on normal days, and even if he does, he has to go back before dusk. I was angry that he ignored me in the morning, so I lied to you. Please don't take it to heart, Aunt Zhang. "
As she spoke, she handed over a bag of mutton and a box of cosmetics.
Aunt Zhang quickly waved her hand. "I'm an old woman, I don't need these. I'll accept the mutton."
The smile on the old woman's face became a lot warmer.
She did not doubt Mu Nanzi's words. If it was a delicate beauty, Aunt Zhang might have suspected that she was a mistress of some rich man.
However, although this Lady Mu had a voluptuous figure, her face was rather plain. Even the lechers in the marketplace wouldn't have any improper thoughts about such a woman with ordinary looks.
…
Xu Mansion.
Xu Qi 'an was dressed in a black suit, leading the filly home. He had changed out of the brocade clothes he had worn at the brothel.
He was too lazy to change back into it.
At the dining table, the second Uncle Xu was drinking wine. He asked, "Where did you go this time?"
Xu Qi 'an lowered his head to eat. "Jianzhou, I fought for a friend."
"Tenzō Shōnin and Lina went too?"
"Yes."
The second Uncle Xu seized the opportunity to lecture his nephew. "Don't always fight and kill. There's always someone better than you. Jianzhou is the holy land of martial arts in Daibun, and there are countless masters there.
"Looking at you, it means that your friend didn't provoke a powerful person, or else …"
Xu Xinnian swallowed his rice. "Jianzhou, the one with the Wulin League?"
"Exactly. The Wulin League in Jianzhou is so powerful that even the local government has to bow down to them. Moreover, they're very united. If one of them is provoked, the others will follow. "
"The leader of the Wulin League is Cao Qingyang. He's in the top three of the Jianghu Martial Ranking. Am I right, Father?"
"Yes, Jianzhou is a forbidden place for the villains of Jianghu. It's the opposite of Yunzhou. Cao Qingyang is a formidable person in Jianghu. "
The aunt was a woman, and she listened with great interest. She asked, "Is he stronger than Ning Yan?"
In the aunt's heart, her unlucky nephew was like the number one master in the world. She didn't say it, but she was very convinced.
The second uncle pondered for a while and shook his head. "Ning Yan is still far from that. If he practices for another five years, he might be able to compete with the leader. Moreover, they don't give face to the government. "
He knew that his nephew was at the sixth rank.
When the aunt heard this, she quickly said, "Fortunately, Ning Yan didn't provoke them. Why did he go to Jianzhou to fight?"
Xu Lingyue spoke for her brother. She said gently, "Father, Big Brother knows what he's doing. The Wulin League is so powerful, he won't provoke them. "
Xu Qi'an ate in silence.
After dinner, Xu Xinnian put down his bowl and chopsticks. He said, "Big Brother, come to my study."
The two brothers walked side by side out of the front hall and into the study.
Xu Xinnian closed the door and went straight to the desk. He took out a thick stack of paper and said, "All the daily records of the Yuanjing Emperor's 20 years from his ascension to the throne to Yuan Jing are here."
Xu Qi'an glanced at it and closed his eyes. He said helplessly, "This is cursive writing … No, in just five days, you collected the daily records of the Yuanjing Emperor for 20 years?"
Xu Erlang met his brother's shocked gaze and raised his chin. He was very proud, but he forced himself to be calm.
He said, "I have advanced to the seventh rank. The seventh rank of the Confucian school is called Benevolence. If you want to enter this rank, you must understand benevolence and righteousness. Benevolence loves the world with impartiality and is the model of morality. Only benevolence can cultivate awe-inspiring righteousness. Therefore, a seventh rank benevolence is the foundation of a fourth rank gentleman.
"Of course, I'm still far from the fourth rank, so this is not something to be happy about. For me, it's just a small step."
"If it's not something to be happy about, then why are you nagging so much …" Xu Qi'an complained in his heart. He thought for a while and asked,
"Does the benevolence have any additional combat power?"
Xu Erlang's face suddenly stiffened. "No, it just makes my memory and physique stronger."
"Pfft, isn't that still a weakling …" Xu Qi'an held back his laughter, picked up the daily record and read it carefully.
This cursive writing is really … f * cked up. Xu Qi'an looked for a moment and wanted to curse.
The ancient cursive writing was similar to the signature of the stars in his previous life. It was not for people to read. Of course, scholars could read it because cursive writing had a fixed form.
But Xu Qi'an was not a scholar.
"Read it to me."
"… Okay."
One brother listened and the other read, and the two candles were replaced.
During this period, Xu Erlang kept drinking tea to moisten his throat and went to the toilet twice.
The daily records of the Emperor recorded some of the words and deeds of the Emperor in his daily life, as well as in the course of official business.
Xu Erlang did not record everything. He automatically deleted some of the obviously meaningless daily conversations.
It wasn't until the latter half of the night that he finished reading everything.
Xu Qi'an closed his eyes for the time it took for an incense stick to burn. When he completely digested the content, he opened his eyes and said with some disappointment,
"It doesn't have any value. At least, I can't see it now."
Xu Erlang asked, "What exactly do you want to investigate about the Yuanjing Emperor?"
"I don't know. I just feel that there's something wrong with him. Well, it's not just a feeling, there's something wrong with him. After returning from the Sword Province, I was even more certain that His Majesty was not as simple as he seemed.
"But I can't tell exactly where the problem is. I don't have a clear direction. We can only do our best to collect information related to him and see if we can find any clues. "
Xu Qi'an said.
"Yuan Jing's political skills have reached the pinnacle. How is he simple?"
Xu Erlang complained and then said, "I don't know if there's something wrong with him, but I know there's something wrong with this daily record."
Xu Qi'an was stunned. "What's wrong with the daily record?"
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