Chapter 260 – Leaving the Capital

“Glorious?”

The aunt didn’t react for a moment, thinking that Nian’er’s gold list would have to be a month or so from now, and only when her nephew showed a smelly expression did she realize that he was bragging.

婶婶美眸一翻，撇嘴道：“呦呦呦，咱们大郎是加官进爵了是吗。”

As soon as I opened my mouth, I knew it was old Aunt Yin Yang.

“I’ve heard my neighbors say that only a scholar can sit in the temple. You, no matter how much you get promoted, you’re still just a night watchman.”

Although she is gradually getting over the knot in her heart and is not as resentful as she used to be, she feels that she has to stick to her principles when it comes to the topic of “who is more promising, the nephew or the son”.

She is not like her husband Xu Pingzhi, her son and nephew are the pups of the Xu family, raised in the family for twenty years, and there is no difference between her and her own son.

The aunt is not used to see Xu Qi’an’s posture of flaunting her strength, and every now and then she fools around in front of her, not putting her as an aunt at ease and respecting her at all.

Therefore, Er Lang must be more successful than Da Lang, so that the aunt can straighten her back in front of her nephew.

“Auntie doesn’t believe it?” Xu Qi’an squinted.

“I believe it, it’s just a promotion.” The aunt said full of concern.

A while ago, Uncle Xu was also promoted and transferred from the outer city to the inner city, with a fixed patrol area. That area was full of wealthy families who, for the sake of peace and quiet in their homes, would spend money to honor the Imperial Sword Guards responsible for the security of their surroundings and make good relations.

That’s why Uncle Two’s private money has been particularly large lately, and with fifty taels of silver seized, he still has silver to play with at the Ministry of Education.

Of course, Uncle Xu never actually took the initiative to go to the Church Office, after all, the girls in the Church Office were too different from his aunt, but whenever he spent the night in the Church Office, it was because of socializing among his peers.

Instead, it was Xu Dalang and Xu Erlang, who had reached Shen Gongbao’s age and had not married, who took the initiative to go to the Education Department to relieve their stress.

“It’s not a promotion, it’s a knighthood!” Xu Qi’an said in a deep voice.

“Pfft ……” Auntie was amused, florid and delicate.

“Hey, don’t talk nonsense.” Uncle Xu waved his hand and said in a bad mood, “Second uncle I was in Shanhaiguan to trap and kill the enemy, killing from the south to the north, killing from the north to the south, killing with blood, and that’s all, it’s still a little bit short of being knighted.”

Kill from the south to the north, kill from the north to the south, second uncle, don t you have a sore arm ……. Xu Qi An mentally spat.

Xu New Year shook his head, “Knighthood is a big deal, the last time Da Feng was knighted was the Battle of Shanhaiguan twenty years ago. Now that the four seas are at peace, where is the battle merit to knighthood you.”

“Being knighted doesn’t necessarily require war merit.” Xu Qi’an stroked Little DouDing’s brain, “Isn’t that right, Suzaku.”

Little DouDing ignored him, his little mouth pressed against the rim of the bowl, gulping down the porridge.

“Okay, okay, how much weight do you have, don’t you know.” Aunt snorted: “If you don’t take a break from work today, you should hurry up and go to the government office, the dawn hour is almost over, so don’t delay your second uncle from answering the dawn.

“The matter of honoring the lintel, don’t worry about it, Dalang, after this year’s spring exams, our Xu family will produce a scholar. When the time comes, we’ll organize a banquet at home and invite the clan over for a meal.”

The chunin exams haven’t even started yet, and Auntie is already proud.

Marder, this is the kind of opening I want, Uncle is biased, Aunt is mean, cousin is a scholar but suppresses me everywhere, one sister looks down on me, another sister steals my food …….. And then, the God of War returned, and he was knighted, driving his aunt and uncle to live in a kennel. ……. Xu Qi’an thought about it and felt quite happy.

Uncle Xu reclasped his helmet and nodded, “It’s getting late, I have to rush to answer the call.”

The knighthood was something he automatically ignored, dismissing it as a joke from his nephew.

If the Xu family could produce an honored person, it would really be the smoke from their ancestors’ graves, even if Erlang had won the gold list and attained the rank of jinshi, it would not be possible to be on par with Dailang.

Just then, Xu Pingzhi saw Old Zhang, the concierge, darting in with a hurried gait, that panicked expression, as if there was a big bug chasing after him.

“Old Old Old Old Master …….”

Old Zhang, the concierge, stammered and said excitedly, “There’s an imperial decree!”

“Holy what?” Xu Pingzhi didn’t hear.

“Holy shit.”

“What decree?” Erlang Xu didn’t hear.

“Holy orders, holy orders of knighthood.”

Xu Qi’an glanced at his dull-eyed aunt and pushed his second uncle outside, “His Majesty’s imperial decree is here.”

Yesterday, the end of the case of Princess Fu, Wei Yuan said to him, the cabinet has already prepared to seal the title of the imperial decree, it is scheduled for today.

Xu Pingzhi walked from the inner courtyard to the outer courtyard, as if he had walked through most of his life, and at this moment, his feelings were very complicated, apprehensive, excited, hesitant, and fearful …… Similar feelings he had experienced once, and that was the wedding night.

From afar, he saw a python-robed eunuch standing in the courtyard, with a line of armor-clad guards on either side.

That eunuch was holding a roll of yellow silk imperial decree embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon.

Boom Boom Boom ……

Xu Pingzhi heard his own drumming heartbeat.

Seeing the rightful owner come over, the eunuch who passed the decree slowly unfolded the decree and said aloud, “Tongluo Xu Qi’an receives the decree.”

Second Uncle was the first to kneel, then pulled Xu Qi’an along with him.

Uncle Xu glared hard at his nephew, the holy decree is current, this kid even kneeling reluctantly.

“Causeway Xu Qi’an is here.”

The eunuch nodded, said aloud: “Fengtian Chengyun emperor edict said, I only rule the world to culture counter-insurgency to martial arts and military marshal Rong will be the court of the mainstay of the country’s dry city also …….. Xu Qi’an broke the strange case in a row, beheading two hundred rebels in Yunzhou …….”

When he heard that he had decimated two hundred rebels, Xu Qi’an froze for a moment, thinking that I had decimated thousands of enemies, so how did it become two hundred?

Then it dawned on me that I was blowing too much bull and blowing myself into believing it.

“……. I hereby appoint Xu Qi’an as the son of Changle County, and grant him thirty tilts of good land and five hundred taels of gold; herewith.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great honor.”

Xu Qi’an shouted a slogan and rose to receive the decree.

“Congratulations, Lord Xu …….. Oh, it’s Prefect Xu.” The python-robed eunuch smiled and said.

“Thank you, Eunuch.”

Xu Qi’an took the imperial decree and handed over a hundred taels silver ticket in passing.

When the python-robed eunuch left with the guards, Xu Ershu grabbed the imperial decree with a split hand and read it over and over again for half a day, obviously unable to read a few big words, but he read it seriously.

As he watched, Uncle Xu’s eyes reddened.

“Knighted, knighted …… My Xu family has produced a viscount.”

He ran back to the backyard with the imperial decree in his hand and shouted, “Madam, quickly write to the Xu clan, the Xu family has produced a viscount ah. I’m going to have a big banquet for three days and three nights, hahahahahahaha ……”

Xu Qi’an picked up the box of gold and field deeds given by Emperor Yuan Jing and sneaked back to his room.

Uncle Two is silly, how can an imperial decree be as important as gold.

………..

Depositing the gold into the fragment of the earth book, Xu Qi’an returned to the inner courtyard and saw Uncle Xu and Erlang grabbing for the holy decree. Father and son almost fight.

Xu Erlang said unhappily, “Those who don’t know would think that the holy decree is for you, Father.”

Uncle Xu: “Get lost!”

Xu Erlang said with slight anger, “I just want to see what the holy decree says.”

Uncle Xu: “Get lost!”

Xu Erlang said angrily, “Father, give me a glimpse of the holy decree.”

Uncle Xu: “Roll on.”

Bah, coarse martial artist ……. Xu Erlang whisked his sleeve and went back to his study to read.

What is a viscount? He wants to win a top prize in the golden list. Otherwise, all the limelight in the family will be stolen by big brother.

“Really, really knighted, huh?”

The aunt looked at the holy decree in her husband’s arms and opened her khazlan eyes so wide that her mind hadn’t yet turned, as if she were living in a dream.

Not a little bit of heart at all.

“This is still false, there is a jade seal stamped on it, and his majesty also gave 500 taels of gold and 30 tilts of good land.” Xu Pingzhi said loudly, afraid that others do not believe it.

Five hundred taels of gold, thirty dumps of good land …… Auntie s eyes flashed with a golden light.

“Da Lang, is this true? Why does Auntie feel like she’s living in a dream.” Auntie tugged on Xu Qi’an’s hand.

Xu Qi’an shrugged it off and said indifferently, “This lady, don’t get close, call me Lord Viscount.”

Xu Lingyue looked at her big brother with a face of adoration.

After gas aunt, Xu Qi An hand into his arms, touched out the deed of the field slapped on the table, said, “Gold I put away myself, as for this thirty pour of good land, aunt, I have not yet married a wife and become a family, so I’ll trouble …….. Ling Yue to help big brother manage it.”

The aunt’s half-extended hand froze, she couldn’t do anything with Xu Qi An, stomping her foot and gasping, “Xu Ping Zhi …….”

The aunt had no choice but to hit her husband hard with her nephew.

Second Uncle Xu let out a “heh”, “Ning Banquet was joking with you, Ling Yue doesn’t know anything about this.”

Xu Lingyue said in a thin voice, “Father, I’ve studied for a few years and know arithmetic.”

Moreover, managing the fields was usually done by letting the trusted subordinates of the house run errands outside, and the master only needed to manage the accounts.

The aunt suddenly had a sense of crisis.

Her previous imaginary enemies were the daughters-in-law of her eldest and second sons, but now she realized that Xu Lingyue, this dead girl, had turned against her and wanted to compete with her as a mother for power.

“Mother, why are you looking at me like that.” Xu Ling Yue felt her mother’s gaze burning into her.

“I’m not looking at you, I’m looking at the white wolves.”

“……” Hsu Ling Yue.

…………

Speaking of the Stargazer building, the capital, and even people from all over Dafeng, have only two words for its impression: high!

In the eyes of the jianghu people, in addition to towering over the clouds, the Stargazer Building was also a forbidden place for the Great Bong, as it housed the dynasty’s only first-rate powerhouse.

Few people would think about what kind of place it was, underneath the Stargazer Building.

Zaza Zaza ……

In the darkness of the underground, the iron door slowly rises, and a winding stone staircase reaches down into the earth, and for every ten steps, there is an oil lamp on the wall, emitting a dim glow.

Da-da-da-da ….. There was a clear sound of footsteps in the still air.

The sound of footsteps became clearer, and a dark shadow came up from the ground, down the steps.

The dark figure wore her hair down, covering her cheeks, over a simple linen-colored robe, and was barefoot, the occasional fullness of her chest protruding as she walked, making one realize that she was a woman.

And it’s a woman with a cleavage in her chest.

“I’m still a bit short of a fourth grade formation master, how did teacher wake me up ……..” The black shadow muttered.

She glanced up, and at the end of the steps, a tidal wave of countless rays poured down from the door, the sunlight that had been missing for so long.

Stepping out of the iron door, the dark figure stood in the silent hall, eyes closed, arms open to embrace the sun.

She hadn’t been out in the world for five years, and had been suppressed at the bottom of the Stargazer Building by the Supervising Teacher.

Through the corridor on the first floor, the cloaked woman picked up the steps and traveled to the second floor, thumping …… footsteps came from overhead, and a white-clad warlock holding a tray with bottles and jars came down.

The two fought.

The white-clothed warlock’s body abruptly froze, and his face paled a little, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying.

There was about a three or four seconds before the white warlock turned and fled in a panic.

The cloaked woman, out of kindness, hastily reminded, “Senior brother, slow down, be careful of slipping.”

As the words fell, the white-clothed warlock’s feet suddenly slipped and rolled down with a grunt, knocking the woman down in the process, and the two of them rolled down the stairs together with a grunt.

Bang Bang …….

The bottles and jars in the tray shattered, filling the room with a colorful dusty mist.

“Save, save your life ……” The white-robed warlock’s face blood surged up and gradually turned greenish-black as he pinched his own neck and said with difficulty:

“This, this is, Senior Brother Song Qing, refined, refined poison ……..”

The woman covered her neck and said with difficulty, “Senior sister didn’t bring the antidote.”

“The antidote is inside ……..” The white-robed warlock seemed unable to move, his eyes staring deathly at some broken porcelain vase and at the powder on the floor.

With the woman’s help, the white-clothed warlock took the antidote and rolled down the stairs to the first-floor lobby, where he shouted toward the white-clothed warlocks who were cooking and refining the medicine:

“Senior Sister Zhong is out of the gate!!!”

The porcelain vases, spoons, and other utensils in the hands of the …… white clad warlocks fell to the ground.

They stiffened and craned their necks, their faces frozen as they looked over.

The cloaked woman continued to pick up the steps, passing the seventh floor, the seventh floor of the alchemy room “boom” exploded, the floor and walls shaking, rustling off the ash.

“How did it blow up? How did it blow up?!” Song Qing’s angry roar came out.

The woman ignored it and continued her ascent, finally arriving at the top of the Stargazer, the Bagua Terrace.

White clothes and white beard, immortal style supervisor is sitting behind the case, pinching the wine cup, looking into the distance froze.

“Teacher.”

The woman cried out respectfully, her eyes falling on the wine and food on the tabletop.

“Zhong Li, your opportunity to advance to the fourth rank has arrived.” Supervisor Zheng leisurely said.

The woman’s body shuddered and she raised her head slightly, revealing her snow-white, sharp jaw.

……….

There were five classes of titles of different surnames in the Daebong: Duke, Waiter, Burr, Son, and Man. Each rank is further divided into five grades (ranks).

Xu Qi’an’s full title was “Third-class son of Changle County”.

It was a title that was less than the top and less than the bottom, and had no real power, just an extra monthly salary.

The significance of a knighthood, though, is not in the power, but in the honor it symbolizes, and the social status.

If you are a member of the aristocracy, is it enough for you to be recognized as a member of the temple? No, such power is only a moment, the real eternal civilian, among the symbols of the aristocracy, is the hereditary title.

Of course, Xu Qi’an’s title could not be hereditary, but at least as long as he was around, the Xu family was nobility, no longer commoners.

In the future, if the son of Changle County takes a commoner woman as his main wife, the minister will submit a report to impeach him. The whole court will say: is the princess not fragrant anymore, or is the county princess not beautiful?

To marry a commoner woman.

In short, for the first time in hundreds of years, the Xu family had a Viscount, completely getting rid of the civil household and becoming part of the aristocracy.

For Xu Pingzhi, the head of the family, it was probably the most glorious moment of his life. On the same day, he took Xu Qi’an to the ancestral tomb to offer incense.

After returning, he planned to send out invitations widely and hold a big banquet, inviting friends and relatives to come to his house to drink and celebrate.

But Auntie felt it was not right and said, “The day after tomorrow is the Chun Exam, and this will affect Erlang’s studies.”

Yes, the day after tomorrow is the spring exam, the first big event of the Dragon Gate Dragon Gate, in the home feast will certainly affect the Erlang study. Xu Pingzhi thought his wife had a point, so he asked Xu Erlang to move to the old mansion in the outer city, study hard, and the banquet will remain unchanged.

Xu Lingyin thought it was awesome.

Xu Erlang cursed and exited the live broadcasting room, taking a subordinate and a maid with him, and went back to the old mansion with his ass in the air.

Returning from the incense, Xu Qi’an generously allocated seventy taels of silver as funding for tomorrow’s banquet.

七十两已经很多很多，是普通殷实人家不吃不喝三年的积蓄；是勾栏两年的嫖资；是许七安现在一年的工资。

“I’ve been back for so long, but I haven’t been to Master Hengyuan’s health hall yet, I have to send some money to relieve the widows and orphans …….”

Xu Qi’an rummaged through the square-headed cabinet and found five coins of silver, intending to go and whore out Hengyuan’s body refining technique at a low price.

Suddenly, sitting on the edge of the bed, Monk Shenshu’s, low ethereal voice rang in his mind, “Leave the capital.”

Leaving the capital?

What does it mean ….. Xu Qi An looked serious, and the Shenshu monk never took the initiative to communicate with him, silently sleeping in his body.

And now he’s telling him to leave the capital.

Is something going to happen in the capital, or is it going to happen to me?

Between all the flashes of thoughts, he saw the gray world before him, the mist-like gray dispersed, and a dilapidated temple appeared, with the browed Master Shenshu sitting in front of the temple entrance.

This monk with mysterious origins sat in meditation with his hands folded, his brown eyes gazing mildly, his voice ethereal: “Leave the capital.”

……..

PS: Thanks to the alliance owner “mady” reward, today is still 10,000 words on, well, I see if I can write a little more on the basis of 10,000 words, more than one or two thousand words or so. I’ll see if I can write a little more on top of 10,000 words, a couple thousand or so more.

Change before you change.