Seize the luck

Yueling leaned back in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall with her legs crossed, while Conglan paced anxiously to the side.

The water mirror in the center of the hall was actually a huge circular pool with shimmering water. All the images reflected in it disappeared after she severed her connection with Yueling.

The water returned to its clear, calm state. Cong Lan tried to peer over the edge to check, muttering to Sui Zhixu, "Why did this child cut off contact halfway through a sentence?"

She waved her hand, leaned back in the recliner and ate cherries, "Stop spinning around, you've been spinning for ages. It's making me dizzy, but she's fine."

"How could she run off to such a dangerous place alone?!"

"No, let me see it again. I won't feel at ease until I see it with my own eyes."

Moonlight blinked, "Now's not a good time, is it? Let's not do it. Would I lie to you?"

"Inappropriate? What do you mean?" Cong Lan narrowed her peach blossom eyes, revealing danger and suspicion.

"Could it be that wretched child?"

He forced the question into a statement, and suddenly his vision went black. What a femme fatale!

"It's probably a fateful... ill-fated destiny, hahahaha!" Yueling picked up the wine pot and walked towards the back of the hall, completely ignoring Cong Lan's pale face.

Considering Cong Lan's life, although he was often hungry in the first half, he lived a life of ease and comfort in the second half. Who has time to compose poems and enjoy music like Sima Xian, or to express their resentment and frustration like a banished official?

These days, he's constantly preoccupied with mysterious matters, all because of Sima Xian. The last time they met, he said Sima Xian was no good; he wouldn't even serve him tea. He was only made to admire flowers, and even in the dead of winter, there were quite a few flowers in the greenhouse.

Sima Xian: Does he think you can drink after you've been with him?

As Yueling passed by the statues of the Three Pure Ones in the hall, she paid her respects and then looked up at them for a moment.

People outside looked up to her, worshipped her, believed that she had become an immortal, that she was detached from worldly affairs, and that being protected by her was like being blessed by a god.

Unfortunately, she was just an ordinary Taoist practitioner. After years of cultivating her mind and body, she lived to a rather old age.

She tossed the cherries in her hand to the end, her cheeks bulging, and said, "This time we've finally made some progress. I will definitely press on and bring peace back to the world."

"In this way, I have lived up to the expectations of the ancestors of Yueshan."

Xuanping Prince's Mansion

Sima Xian was playing chess with Gu Qingyi in the pavilion when suddenly the cold, mechanical voice of the system in his mind rang out.

[Current luck is rising; 367 life points have been harvested from Jingzhou, luck value increases!]

[Warning! The current holder of this auspicious energy is blessed with merit, and their luck is green. The host's luck value is decreasing! Decreasing!]

[The system has detected that the host's luck is yellow. The host is requested to immediately eliminate the person with this luck! Eliminate them immediately!]

The chess piece in his hand fell, and the black jade piece collided with the chessboard, making a sound like jade shattering and turning.

Gu Qingyi looked up at him with displeasure, her hand resting on the edge of the chessboard, itching to make a move.

Sima Xian tossed the chess piece back into the basket, glancing at her with a hint of warning, "How's things going with Xin Yi?"

"What else can we do? Same as always. We're living off the last bit of money we have saved up."

"Well, you and Huaiyu stay in Chang'an and keep an eye on Anniang and everyone in the manor. I'll go to Miao territory myself this time."

Gu Qingyi frowned. "You're going in person? They're just some restless Miao branches. Is it worth your personal visit?"

"I'm not going. Am I supposed to wait for A-Ling to wipe out Miao Jiang as well? She doesn't even recognize A-Nian anymore. How can she possibly stop targeting the other people in Miao Jiang?"

Sima Xian snorted coldly. He knew from the system announcement that Jiang Li had been coaxed by A Ling and would obediently remove the curse from Jingzhou. Otherwise, how could the people of Jingzhou have escaped the calamity so quickly?

Gu Qingyi was unaware of the failure of the Jingzhou plan. She looked puzzled. In the past, Liu Sima Xian had also been known to have foresight. She had always thought it was He Miao's divination, but he had clearly been sitting in front of her just now.

She didn't ask any more questions. The mermaid pearl in her sleeve was burning hot. She hadn't seen her even once since the day she broke into He Miao's seclusion and retrieved the mermaid pearl.

She tried her best to maintain her composure and conceal her worry. "I will let the king decide. I will have Xin Yi transferred to the Seven Treasures of Tianque Tower to protect you. With me and Huaiyu in the manor, you don't need to worry."

"Hmm." Sima Xian stood up, glancing at the greenhouse not far away out of the corner of his eye.

This has been going on for too long. If this continues, he will forget the name of his childhood homeland.

It became a forgotten dynasty in people's minds; who but them could remember its name?

He absolutely cannot lose.

As the ancients said, "The student surpasses the teacher," let him see how the child who died in front of him can fight back this time.

If he can win the first time, he'll win the second.

—

In late spring, Chang'an was bustling with activity. Xun Wang was finally released. As soon as he was released, the emperor arranged a marriage for him with the wife of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, one of the most beautiful women in the capital.

He even bestowed upon her a royal staff.

When the king learned that the sky had fallen, the Grand Master of Ceremonies still had an imperial staff, which clearly indicated that he had been sent to discipline the prince.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies was a man of many rules, and his wife...

So, Xun Wang casually took Xi Yuzhen to various banquets, clearly telling her that he was not under his control.

Ning Yan couldn't stop laughing and collapsed into Pei Qinglian's arms.

"I can't take it anymore, his mind is so unique, hahaha..."

"How could he come up with such a plan? The marriage was bestowed by the Emperor. Was he trying to spite Lady Xie or himself? And when did Lady Xi start hanging out with him?"

Pei Qinglian roused the person, saying, "You were sitting on me, rolling around like a worm. Get up now."

Ning Yan: "Tch—"

"Perhaps it's to be engraved on the royal jade tablet, but she's determined to become the Prince Xun's concubine and doesn't know how to restrain herself. The imperial staff in Lady Xie's hand doesn't have eyes."

"It's a pity that Ah Xu isn't here and can't see this scene." Pei Qinglian shook her head, expressing her regret.

Cui Wan had been sitting silently to the side from the beginning. When she heard Sui Zhixu's name, she looked up and said, "Don't you guys find it strange?"

"What?"

Cui Wan gritted her teeth: "Why did Ah Xu go when the incident happened in Jingzhou, and why did Xi Langjun go with him? It was the same before; on many occasions, it wasn't just me but also Ah Xu. Does he like Ah Xu?"

"I thought you were really blind..."

Before Pei Qinglian could finish speaking, Ning Yan covered her mouth and gestured for her to shut up.

“It’s hard to guess what’s on a playboy’s mind, especially since he did this before… Ah Xu doesn’t think it’s a misunderstanding, and there’s nothing between them.”

“I didn’t mean to blame Ah Xu. How could I be the kind of person who would fight with my sisters for my husband?” Cui Wan stood up, dissatisfied.

Ning Yan quickly pulled her back, "Look at me, what did I say about you? Awan, Xi Langjun is deep and calculating, while you are innocent and lively. You've been throwing yourself into this world like a moth to a flame these past few days. Does he have feelings for you?"

Cui Wan opened her mouth.

"Don't say he's gentle and polite to you. If he truly cared for you, he would have come to your door to ask for your hand in marriage. Last year, when the candidates for the imperial examination were vying for a husband, to put it bluntly, Yu Langjun was the most plain-looking of the three, but he was still taken away early on. Not to mention Puyang Langjun, didn't Xi Langjun use your influence to block many other marriage proposals back then?"

"Ask yourself honestly, has he ever told you about coming to your door to propose marriage? You've always been the one who went through fire and water for him, running around searching for suitable locations all over Chang'an."

Pei Qinglian scoffed, "Back then, your superiors were so desperate for him, and Old Madam Chu was adamant about not agreeing to the marriage. Fine, although he eventually said it was all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding—I don't know where all these misunderstandings came from. Isn't he the reincarnation of Trouble Jing?"

Ning Yan grasped Cui Wan, who was deep in thought, and said, "A-Wan is one of the most beautiful women in Chang'an. There are many men pursuing you. He's not here now, so you might as well take this time to think things through."

In the distance, a constant cacophony of laughter and chatter could be heard, all of it consisting of discussions about Xi Yuzhen and Xun Wang.

"I heard that Madam Xie has arrived?"

"That scene was much more exciting than what we just witnessed. When Prince Xun spoke so frivolously, Lady Xie struck him with her imperial staff. You didn't see it, but Lady Xi in Prince Xun's arms ran away in a panic. It's true what they say, when disaster strikes, everyone flees for their lives."

"You know what, the actress's face really does resemble that of the actress from back then. I wonder if the Prince of Xuanping took them in for so long because of that."

"Tch, I think that guy from the Prince's Mansion is after the immense wealth of Master Fan of Yunlai Tower. I've seen Lady Xi running around Yunlai Tower many times, always looking for opportunities to bump into Master Fan. You know what she's up to?"

"The Prince's Mansion and the others?!"

"Keep your voice down... I don't know why he has such a good reputation in Chang'an over the years."

Upon hearing this, Pei Qinglian frowned and whispered, "Fan Lingzhang? Why are you mentioning him?"

The three women exchanged glances. What others might not know, the three of them certainly did: Ah Xu and Fan Lingzhang had a very close relationship.

Their relationship was not made public, but they both knew about it.

The two were familiar with the ambiguous atmosphere, which Pei Qinglian felt was similar to that of Ning Yan and Sanlang.

Pei Qinglian: "Does anyone remember what Madam Lu looks like?"

"Let me think..." Cui Wan pondered deeply, "She rarely went out, and no one in Chang'an had ever heard of her before her marriage. What did she look like?"

"Will Sanlang know? Three years ago, he kicked Lu Dalang off the second floor and ran into Fan Langjun and Lu Niangzi, who were handling the matter. Lu Dalang was very rude to Lu Niangzi. Fan Langjun then called the government officials, and that's how the Pei and Lu families ended up in court."

Pei Qinglian scoffed, "That blockhead only remembers you. Who else could he remember? That idiot makes people travel by carriage. He probably doesn't even know the way to Yunlai Tower."

If Cui Wan couldn't remember, she simply stopped thinking about it. "If I don't remember, I don't remember. Xu is smarter than me; she can't be fooled, can she?"

“She is the young master of the Sui family. If she gets married, her marriage will be witnessed by all the members of the Sui family. I heard that it was very difficult for Cong Xiang to marry into the family. The elders of the Sui family were very dissatisfied, let alone A Xu.”

Ning Yan leaned closer to the three of them and whispered.

"By the way, my second cousin went to his hometown in Jiannan. I wonder if they will run into each other on the way."

"It depends on fate," Pei Qinglian said, changing the subject. "Did you notice that person's last sentence?"

Ning Yan quickly realized, "Very good reputation!"

Cui Wan shook her head from side to side, looking at them. "What about your reputation?"

“When you had the incident at the polo field last year, the princess said that things were not simple. At the time, I only thought that the princess was perceptive. Even recently, I did not think there was anything wrong with his good reputation. But recently, I suddenly realized that something is really wrong. He is too good.”

Pei Qinglian's voice was cold as she said indifferently, "No one is perfect, including His Majesty. Scholars and common people will also gossip about him in private, but think about it, over the years, has anyone said anything bad about him? Three years ago, the incident caused such a big fuss, but he still managed to escape unscathed."

"Oh, that's scary..."

Cui Wan was at a loss, her mind racing, and she felt a chill run down her spine.

She grasped Ning Yan and Pei Qinglian's hands, "He didn't cast a spell on us, did he? Or is it some kind of supernatural thing? Let's not talk about this, let's talk about Ah Xu instead."

"Yes, yes, let's change the subject. What was I going to say? If my second cousin could meet Ah Xu, maybe he would have a chance."

Pei Qinglian and Ning Yan exchanged glances, their thoughts racing. Considering Cui Wan's fear, they went along with her and continued the conversation.

Pei Qinglian said, "I think it's impossible. Chu Erlang is too naive compared to the Prince Consort. A Xu would not develop romantic feelings for a man."

Cui Wan: "I think it's possible. Xu is cold-hearted, and it won't be easy for him to succeed as the head of the family. He might prefer someone simple and easygoing."

Turning to Ning Yan, she laughed and said, "Actually, I think she should like both. What do you guys think?"

The two: "..."

Sui Zhixu, far away in Jingzhou, was completely unaware of the situation. As Jingzhou gradually returned to normal, she, as the young master, had a lot of things to do.

Her feeling was that Chu Shiguan was really energetic, comparable to Sui Chuke.

"Liu Lü, Peng Village near Zao Village has suffered heavy casualties. Many people have gone mad and destroyed their houses. Send a group of people to provide assistance."

“Send Lang Ning from Mojia Liao as well.”

"By the way, how is Governor Lu doing?" Sui Zhixu asked, resting her hand on her temple. She was now handling most of the affairs in Jingzhou.

She knew this was Sui He's intention, and she had to do her best to silence the clan elder.

Du Yun replied, "Don't worry, my lady. Master Xia and his disciples went in person, and everything has been arranged by the government."

"That's good."

After Xu finished speaking, he checked the arrangements for the village, county, and town, and occasionally gave orders. Dan Hong and Liu Lü were sent out to do things, and Du Yun stayed by her side to add ink.

After two months of busy work in the Jingzhou area, things are finally back on track. Houses in various places have been repaired, and medical treatment and rescue are being carried out simultaneously. People have finally settled down.

And this step of Su Zhixu's has only just been completed.

"The family will gather tomorrow, are you ready?"

Sui He had seen how busy Sui Zhixu had been for the past two months, and she trusted her little wife.

"Um."

"Alright, don't worry. Although Chu Ke from the Mo Family Lodge is unreliable, Lang Ning is pragmatic. You don't need to worry about the other three lodges, and you did a great job in Jingzhou this time, so don't worry."

Xu Wan'er replied with certainty, "I never thought this position would belong to anyone else."

Sui He put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Remember to write a separate letter to your father. He wrote to me complaining that you've forgotten about him."

She could already picture Aye's face and tone of voice, completely off-key.

He paused for a moment, then said, "I understand."