Linzi.
The moonlight spilled over the towering city walls, cascading down upon the row after row of vermilion buildings and upturned eaves.
The Boyuan Marquis Mansion.
It was a deep, five-entry residence with quiet, secluded courtyards. Most of the compound had already gone dark, save for a few studies and side halls to the west of the central axis, where candlelight still flickered.
Inside a side hall, agarwood incense drifted upward in lazy, serpentine curls, slowly dispersing among the ceiling beams.
A handsome young man with sharp, spirited eyes sat behind a yellow pearwood desk.
Dressed in plain white sleeping robes, he held a yellowed ancient scroll, reading intently by the dancing candlelight.
Suddenly, the bamboo curtain at the entrance rustled softly, and footsteps came to a halt outside. A voice announced:
“Young Master, the Ninth Highness's representative has arrived...”
The young man's hand paused. His brow furrowed as a trace of helplessness flickered in his eyes. Laying down the scroll, he pinched the bridge of his aching nose and said calmly, “Bring him in.”
Moments later, a short, stout middle-aged man with a fair complexion stepped into the room.
With a smooth, practiced smile plastered on his face, he bowed deeply the moment he crossed the threshold.
“Liu Min pays his respects to Young Master Qi Xiao.”
“No need for formalities,” Qi Xiao replied flatly, not even bothering to look up.
Liu Min did not mind the cold reception in the slightest. Lowering his voice, he cut straight to the point.
“Young Master Qi, my intrusion at this late hour is by order of the Ninth Highness. I have come specifically to express his gratitude to the Boyuan Marquis for his assistance this time...”
“Hold on.”
Qi Xiao raised a hand, cutting off the rest of the man's flattering words. His tone brooked no argument.
“Let this matter end here. There is no need to speak of it further. My Qi family has repaid Noble Consort Liu's favor from years past. From this day forward, we have absolutely nothing to do with this affair.”
Liu Min's smile stiffened slightly, but he quickly forced it back onto his face. His tone grew slightly anxious.
“But His Highness has specially prepared an elegant banquet tonight and wishes to invite you over for a chat...”
“No thank you.”
Even though the other party spoke of a member of the imperial family, Qi Xiao remained entirely unmoved.
He waved his hand and said, “My eldest sister is far away at the border, and my father recently entered secluded cultivation. I must handle all affairs within the estate, so I truly cannot spare the time. I appreciate the Ninth Highness's kind intentions, but we shall have to discuss this another time when I am free.”
Liu Min heard this and groaned inwardly.
Seeing how resolute the young heir of the marquisate was, pressing any further would likely only anger him.
Thus, he dared not say another word and meekly bowed to take his leave.
However, before he could step over the threshold, the young man's voice drifted from behind him once more.
“Wait.”
Liu Min quickly stopped and turned around, offering a sycophantic smile. “What other instructions do you have, Young Master?”
Qi Xiao slowly raised his head. His eyes, cold as a deep pool, stared quietly at him as he murmured, “About this matter... I do not wish for my eldest sister to hear even a whisper of it. Do you understand?”
At the mention of “eldest sister,” the muscles in Liu Min's face twitched. He quickly bent his waist even lower, making a deep bow.
“Please put your mind at ease, Young Master! This matter... will absolutely never reach the ears of the Zhenxi General!”
...
Outside the vermilion gates of the marquis mansion, the long street was silent.
A luxurious carriage rested quietly in the dappled shade of the trees.
On its roof, a nine-leaf green flag fluttered in the wind. The carriage body was fully carved and inlaid with precious ivory, and it was drawn by four peerless, ink-black dragon steeds without a single stray hair on their bodies.
This was a grand imperial carriage built to the official standards of the Qi Dynasty royalty.
Keeping his head low, Liu Min walked quickly to the side of the carriage. Through the heavy curtains, he reported in a low voice, “Highness... Young Master Qi has declined.”
“Hmph!”
A cold sneer immediately rang out from inside the carriage. “As expected. Get in!”
Liu Min hastily stepped onto the small wooden stool to climb onto the carriage frame, lifting the soft curtain woven with gold thread.
The interior of the carriage was as spacious as a lady's chamber, carpeted with thick Western Region marten furs and filled with the scent of ambergris incense that cost a thousand gold pieces per ounce.
A young man clad in golden robes reclined on a brocade couch.
His features were delicate, elegant, and handsome, with skin as white as jade. Every movement he made exuded an innate extravagance and laziness.
This young man was none other than the Ninth Prince of the Great Qi Empire, Prince Changle—Jiang Su!
At this moment, two breathtakingly beautiful women in thin, revealing attire clung to his chest like boneless vines.
One of them, her slender fingers painted with bright red nail polish, peeled the green skin off an iced grape and giggled as she popped it into Jiang Su's mouth.
Keeping his gaze fixed on his own nose, Liu Min properly lowered his eyes and bowed.
“Highness, Qi Xiao made things clear. The Boyuan Marquis only lent his aid this time because of Noble Consort Liu's past favor... From now on, the Qi family will no longer interfere in our affairs.”
“That old dog! What a hypocrite!”
Jiang Su spat out a grape seed. Though his handsome face wore a smile, his words were incredibly harsh.
Liu Min turned pale with fright. Looking around in terror, he lowered his voice and pleaded in a trembling tone, “Highness, please watch your words! The Boyuan Marquis possesses vast divine abilities. If he happens to be staying in the mansion...”
“What are you panicking for?”
Jiang Su cast an impatient glance at him and snapped coldly, “Those bald donkeys in the west have been crossing the border repeatedly of late. That old dog received Imperial Father's secret decree long ago to personally oversee the Autumn-Slaying Army! Do you think he is still nesting in this mansion?”
Hearing this, Liu Min's racing heart finally settled.
The Great Qi's protocol was exceptionally strict.
Unless one had achieved unparalleled military merits, only experts who had attained the Xiantian Divine Ability Rank were qualified to be enfeoffed as marquises or appointed as prime ministers.
And the Boyuan Marquis, Qi Lianshan, was a genuine Xiantian Divine Ability Rank powerhouse.
In the face of such a figure, even an imperial prince had to show the deference of a junior.
Yet, before Liu Min could fully breathe a sigh of relief, Jiang Su's expression grew even more sinister. He sneered, “Besides... was this prince wrong to call that old dog a hypocrite?
“My dear sixth brother captured the Child of Destiny of Cangzhou's Nanxiang Prefecture, some fellow named Dou Jiao, and refined him into a grand pill to consume, stepping into the Heavenly Gang Rank in one fell swoop.
“When that old dog Qi met him, didn't he still have to respectfully say, ‘Congratulations, Sixth Highness’?”
A flash of resentment crossed Jiang Su's eyes. Gritting his teeth, his voice sounded as if it were squeezed through his teeth.
“The Qi estate dares to treat this prince with such disregard today simply because they know I am a two-character prince, destined to have no hope of ascending the throne...”
Within the Qi Dynasty, the titles of the imperial descendants were divided into single-character princes and two-character princes.
The First Prince, Prince Jing; the Third Prince, Prince Jin; the Fifth Prince, Prince Yan; and the Sixth Prince, Prince Li...
Only these four single-character princes, along with the heavily favored Second Princess, Princess Yangxin, were seen by the nobility, prestigious families, and sects as figures qualified to inherit the throne.
As for the remaining two-character princes...
They would ultimately be unable to escape the fate of being enfeoffed in distant regions.
Jiang Su's words seemed to mock the Boyuan Marquis for being a sycophant, but in truth, they carried deep resentment toward the Emperor's favoritism.
Such treasonous words terrified Liu Min, who kept his head lowered in silence, not daring to utter a single syllable.
Fortunately, after venting his anger, Jiang Su calmed down. Stroking a beauty's soft hand, he asked, “How is the cleanup on Eunuch Wei's side going?”
“Reporting to Your Highness, it is mostly going smoothly!”
Liu Min hastily bowed and reported, “Eunuch Wei has already sent a message using the Xuanjing Division's secret method, confirming that the Changyun Bai family has been completely wiped out.
“The Child of Destiny's fortune has surged immensely. I am afraid it will take only a few months for him to break through to the Huajin Rank.
“When the time comes, once the Blessed Land opens, it will be the moment of harvest...”
At this point, a smile finally returned to Liu Min's face. He cupped his hands and congratulated, “This servant congratulates Your Highness in advance. The barrier to the Inner Gang Rank is just around the corner!”
“Just around the corner? It is still far from certain...”
Although Jiang Su spoke with mock humility, the smile in his eyes could not be concealed. However, being meticulous by nature, he quickly raised an eyebrow.
“Wait, you said ‘mostly smoothly’ just now? Could it be that some mishap occurred?”
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