A light drizzle was falling when the morning court session ended.

Perhaps because ice had been left in his room all night, Bai Lihong had sneezed two or three times when he awoke that morning.

Qin Xiao worried that the child would catch a cold now that it was raining again, so he had him take a palanquin back to Yangxin Palace.

He himself stayed behind and spoke with Su Sheng and others about various matters, expressing that the national treasury would continue to be replenished and that he and His Majesty would gradually improve the lives of the common people.

He and these ministers, who outwardly appeared concerned for the country and its people, made sure to maintain a proper facade before parting ways.

This was the current situation in the Great Ning Dynasty. Regardless of what people really thought, a good reputation and the outward appearance of “a wise ruler and virtuous ministers” must be maintained.

After watching everyone leave, Qin Chaoyang finally spoke: “My Lord, the Imperial Decree has been passed down. Jiannan-wang will depart for Hexi Prefecture tomorrow.”

“Hm.” Qin Xiao took the umbrella from his hand and opened it, then stepped out of the main hall and descended the steps one by one.

Qin Chaoyang held his own umbrella as he followed behind him. He went on to say: “The Empress Dowager just paid a visit to the Young Master, and they discussed the auction. The Young Master was just about to come see you, presumably because he’s guessed that you’re using him.”

Qin Xiao paused in his steps.

Qin Chaoyang stopped as well, and followed Qin Xiao’s gaze when he saw him looking ahead.

Below the long steps, about a hundred meters away, stood none other than Chu Jiubian and Xiao Xiangzi. Speak of the devil.

Qin Xiao paused only briefly before continuing forward, swiftly descending the steps.

Looking on from afar, he saw the young man in dark blue brocade robes holding an oil paper umbrella. His long, silver-white hair was loose, and the slightly curled dark hair over his forehead created an odd and incongruous look that, combined with his delicate and beautiful face, gave him a detached beauty that seemed to belong to another world.

Qin Xiao walked unhurriedly toward the young man and said familiarly: “You wanted to see me again?”

He had played the role of a dandy for so many years, and it was easy for him to say something so flippant.

But because he spoke so naturally and had such a handsome face, his words didn’t seem offensive at all; on the contrary, they sounded flirtatious.

Someone else might feel ashamed or embarrassed, but this was Chu Jiubian.

As far back as he could remember, Chu Jiubian had never experienced any emotion similar to “embarrassment.”

“I thought you might not have brought an umbrella, so I came to pick you up.” Chu Jiubian looked up at the umbrella in his hand and said, “Now it seems I was overthinking it.”

“You weren’t overthinking it.” Without hesitation, Qin Xiao closed his umbrella and handed it to Qin Chaoyang behind him. 

Qin Chaoyang immediately took it, watching as his lord stepped under the young master’s umbrella and took the handle from the other’s hand.

Chu Jiubian naturally released his grip and began to move forward.

Xiao Xiangzi lagged a few steps behind, following the two along with Qin Chaoyang.

Looking up, he could see the two tall figures walking side by side. Both possessed an extraordinary bearing, but their temperaments were worlds apart.

How well-matched, Xiao Xiangzi thought.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao strolled leisurely along the long, secluded palace path. Chu Jiubian remained silent for some time, until he felt his left shoulder being soaked by the drizzle and turned his head to look.

Qin Xiao also noticed his wet shoulder, and immediately tilted the umbrella toward him.

Chu Jiubian chuckled softly and said: “Are you looking after me?”

“Of course,” said Qin Xiao. “The Young Master has helped me so much, it’s my duty to do what I can for you.”

Chu Jiubian sent him a glance and thought, You’d better remember what I’ve done for you.

Qin Xiao seemed to understand this look. A smile appeared in his eyes as he said: “Saltpeter is now under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court.”

“Oh.” Chu Jiubian pretended not to hear the meaning behind his words.

“The Young Master previously stated that there are other uses for saltpeter beyond just making ice.” Qin Xiao didn’t beat around the bush, saying directly: “The day after tomorrow, I’ll take you out of the palace. Teach me another method then, hm?”

Chu Jiubian stopped and turned to face him.

The two stood under the same umbrella, very close in proximity.

Chu Jiubian had to raise his chin slightly to meet Qin Xiao’s gaze. He stared unblinkingly at the man before him and asked: “If I don’t teach you, you won’t take me to the auction?”

This bastard was already willing to use him, and now he wanted to use this to make a deal with him?

Dream on!

Qin Xiao looked down at him. The umbrella still covered most of his head, but his own back was wet.

After a moment, Qin Xiao suddenly let out a soft laugh and lamented: “I really don’t like talking to intelligent people.”

Chu Jiubian had already guessed that he planned to use him as bait for those powerful and influential people in order to see what bargaining chips they had in their hands. It was no longer suitable to use the pretext of “leaving the palace” to obtain another method from Chu Jiubian.

“What do you want?” he asked.

Chu Jiubian: “I’m bored every day. How about you give me an official position?”

This was what Chu Jiubian had wanted from the very beginning.

The Imperial Court may currently appear calm on the surface, but undercurrents were already surging, and the political struggle among these powerful figures would soon reach a fever pitch.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t remain outside the vortex forever. He needed to step in and work with these powerful figures and Qin Xiao in order to keep abreast of the latest intelligence and political developments.

Otherwise, once Qin Xiao had suppressed and defeated these people, the conflict would shift toward Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian now had the Mobei Army as his backup forces, and there would be other believers in the future, but this wasn’t enough to put him on equal footing with Qin Xiao.

He even required Qin Xiao’s permission to inquire about news from the outside world.

Thus, in order to protect himself, Chu Jiubian must possess status and power to rival Qin Xiao’s.

A few flashes of lightning streaked through the gloomy clouds, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.

The rain came down harder.

Chu Jiubian paid close attention to every change in Qin Xiao’s expression. He was actually very apprehensive.

This request seemed to reveal too much ambition, and it would be reasonable for Qin Xiao not to agree.

It seemed like an eternity, yet also like only a few breaths had passed before Qin Xiao nodded: “His Majesty happens to be lacking a teacher.”

“You want me to be the Imperial Preceptor?” Chu Jiubian was not very satisfied.

The Imperial Preceptor was said to be the emperor’s teacher, but in reality, with Qin Xiao being the Regent and the emperor’s maternal uncle, the young emperor rarely paid attention to his Imperial Preceptor.

Moreover, the Imperial Preceptor’s job was only to teach the emperor knowledge and etiquette. He could not attend court, and had no real power, and this would not improve Chu Jiubian’s current problem of being “blind and deaf” with no subordinates.

Qin Xiao knew he was dissatisfied by his frown, but rather than being angry, he smiled and said: “This lord was referring to the position of Grand Tutor, a first-rank official able to attend court and participate in government affairs. Is the Young Master satisfied?”

Chu Jiubian’s brow smoothed out.

It seemed Qin Xiao knew what he wanted.

“I really enjoy talking to intelligent people.” Chu Jiubian’s eyes sparkled, and his deliberately gentle tone seemed as if he was trying to tug on the other’s heartstrings.

Qin Xiao swept his rippling eyes over him and said meaningfully: “Then I trust that the Grand Tutor will consider His Majesty’s well-being in the future.”

He was isolated and helpless in the court, with almost no capable civil officials.

If Chu Jiubian could attend court, with his intelligence and abilities, he was certain to be a sharp blade in Qin Xiao’s hands.

But as of now, the direction this blade would point was unknown.

Qin Xiao was in no hurry. The day after tomorrow, he would know whose hands this blade would end up in.

Chu Jiubian understood his implied meaning. The other party’s offer of the Grand Tutor position seemed to show his sincerity, and he felt that he should reciprocate. He said: “Rest assured, Lord Ning-wang, His Majesty is clever and well-behaved, and I like him very much.”

He would first verbally express his opinion, and then prove it through his actions when meeting with others the next day.

In any case, he had never considered cooperating with other forces. In the end, he would remain standing at the side of Bai Lihong, the male protagonist of this world.

The young man’s stunning face reflected in Qin Xiao’s unfathomable eyes.

“Then this lord shall wait and see.”

*

*

The Yanmen Qiu family was the wealthiest of the four great families.

They had originally made their fortune outside Yanmen Pass by trading in salt, iron, and furs with the grassland tribes, and eventually controlled all of the border trade routes.

Later, when the Imperial Court tightened its control, they abandoned their aboveboard business and became more secretive, expanding their influence into the Central Plains region.

Their caravans now spread across most of the Great Ning Dynasty, and they were also deeply involved with forces in the jianghu.

Because of their trade, the Qiu family always managed to obtain rare and precious items.

In order to sell them at high prices, they opened the Treasure Pavilion in the capital, and an auction was held there every six months.

At present, the first biannual auction was set to begin.

Early on, the Qiu family had released the news that many of the treasures in this auction originated from the Western Regions and the Northern Territories, and were extremely rare in the Central Plains.

The capital city was never short of wealthy and powerful people, and they were all naturally abuzz with interest. Even merchants from the Jiangnan region had come to join in the fun.

On the day of the auction, starting in the afternoon, carriages of all kinds arrived one after another, each bearing the name of their respective families.

The Treasure Pavilion had three floors. The first floor was for ordinary wealthy merchants and officials of all ranks, while the private rooms on the second floor were reserved for the powerful and influential, those whom ordinary people might never have the chance to meet in their lifetimes.

The four great families, as well as officials of the first and second ranks, were basically all on this level.

The third floor above was reserved for the most beautiful and talented courtesans from the most famous pleasure houses and painted boats, who would serve tea and put on performances.

Therefore, many early arrivals would go straight to the third floor to browse, drink tea, and appreciate art.

More carriages arrived as evening drew near, and the flags adorning each one were enough to make one’s heart tremble.

When colleagues from the Imperial Court bumped into one another, they would greet each other and engage in lively conversation.

When Xiao Yao, the head of the Lin’an Xiao family, arrived, he happened to run into Lu Jinfeng, the head of the Wuwei Lu family. Both of them were only in their early thirties.

Xiao Yao was dressed in blue robes and had the appearance of a frail scholar, his temperament even somewhat effeminate.

Lu Jinfeng was dressed in long, dark robes. His face was cold and hard, and the robes were unable to hide his muscular physique. Of course, the most eye-catching thing was the longsword at his waist, which had taken countless lives.

Xiao Yao smiled and stepped forward with his hands cupped in greeting. He said: “Liaoyuan-xiong, it’s been a while. You look even more robust.”

“And you’ve become even more womanly,” Lu Jinfeng sneered.

Xiao Yao’s expression remained unchanged: “Who in the Great Ning Dynasty doesn’t know how beautiful the women in my family are? If I could be half as beautiful as them, I would be most pleased.”

Lu Jinfeng couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge him.

Their entire family maintained their status by relying on the beauty of their women to curry favor with the wealthy and powerful, and were not at all ashamed of it.

To be on the safe side, the street had been cleared out today. Only people with connections in the capital were allowed in; ordinary people could only stand away from the street and watch the excitement from afar.

Normally, the street wasn’t so crowded when there was an auction, and people would come and go inside the Treasure Pavilion to exchange pleasantries.

But today, the area in front of the gate was extremely lively. Influential figures stood there in twos and threes, chatting as they glanced toward the end of the long street now and then, as if waiting for someone.

The setting sun cast a golden glow across the ground, and at last, a horse-drawn carriage slowly approached from the end of the long street.

The carriage was entirely black and gold, with a banner fluttering above it bearing the surname “Qin” in vibrant calligraphy.

This was the Qin family carriage.

To be more precise, it was Qin Xiao’s carriage.

Ongoing conversations gradually fell silent, and countless gazes focused on that one spot.

Everyone knew that Qin Xiao wasn’t the only one in the carriage; the renowned Jiu-gongzi of the capital city was there as well.

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Chapter 15 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 17