The teacup was set down.
Mu Yuyan took a deep breath, already having made up her mind.
“Dear husband, I am a little tired. May I return to the bedchamber first and wait for you there?”
“Of course.”
Only then did Gu Lan realize it was already late at night, and he smiled repeatedly. “Wife, you have worked hard on ordinary days. Since your monthly period has come these few days, you should rest properly.”
When Mu Yuyan heard this, she seemed to think of something, and her pretty face instantly flushed red all the way to her earlobes.
Liu Yexi understood nothing at all before Mu Yuyan pulled her out of the main hall.
At this moment.
A mechanical voice rang out in Gu Lan’s mind.
『You tell a story from this world. Cultivation increases by 1,000 years.』
『You obtain Confucian Dao Secret Art: Words Become Law.』
『You obtain Xuantian Supreme Treasure: Hongmeng Sword.』
『You obtain 10 soul-restoring elixirs.』
『…』
Seeing these rewards, Gu Lan froze.
“Damn, what it gave this time… is way too good!”
There was no need to elaborate on the secret art of Words Become Law. This soul-restoring elixir and Xuantian Supreme Treasure were things that existed only in legend!
Although he had often told stories to his wife and Little Xi before, such as storybooks from his previous life like Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber, the rewards given by the scholar System were mostly 10 years of cultivation or 1 or 2 spirit herbs.
In the eyes of ordinary cultivators, such things were naturally priceless treasures.
But for Gu Lan, he had received who knew how many over the past 3 years, and they no longer helped much.
“I seem to have discovered the door to a new world… So spoiling the original novel of this world gives much richer rewards… Tsk!”
Gu Lan’s eyes lit up.
Immediately afterward, he felt the cultivation within his body surging upward!
『Current cultivation: 21,000 years, Confucian Saint Realm.』
“The Saint Realm, huh? Seems decent…” Gu Lan looked at his own long, fair hands. Clear light flowed and swirled around them, as if containing boundless power.
But a moment later, he still shook his head.
Although among the realms of this world, the Saint Realm seemed to be the very peak.
Even at the end, this eunuch novel never mentioned what realm the protagonist reached!
“It’s still better to play it safe.”
Not provoking cheat-wielding monsters and staying together with his wife for the rest of their lives… Gu Lan had always remembered his life’s pursuit.
In the bedchamber.
“Your Majesty, the imperial edict has been drafted.”
Liu Yexi spoke with utmost respect.
Before her lay a freshly drafted secret imperial edict from the Empress, detailing the “additional” tasks the Xuantian Bureau and various officials needed to carry out regarding disaster relief in the Southern Frontier.
“Good.”
Mu Yuyan glanced over it briefly, then looked at Liu Yexi with her bright eyes. “This time, I still need you to make a trip to the Southern Frontier, Little Xi. If anyone else goes… I will not feel at ease.”
“Yes!”
Having followed the Empress since childhood, Liu Yexi naturally knew her cautious nature.
Moreover, this matter was of great importance and concerned the national destiny.
Of course Mu Yuyan had to send a trusted aide. Not the slightest mistake could be allowed.
“Then… may I ask, Your Majesty, how should the powerful nobles involved be dealt with?” Liu Yexi asked.
Although she supervised all the officials, Cai Yu held a noble rank this time, so she still had to ask the Empress for instructions.
“Once the charges are confirmed without error, execute him… on the spot!”
Mu Yuyan’s pretty face was frosty, and she spoke with killing intent.
To cure long-standing corruption, one had to use strong medicine. Gu Lan’s words still rang in her ears, and she would not fail to understand this principle.
“I understand!”
As expected, Her Majesty had given all her tenderness to the Young Master, so she had none left to bestow on them. Those powerful nobles are in for it now… Liu Yexi laughed inwardly, took the imperial edict, turned, and left.
A long while later.
Mu Yuyan seemed to have settled a matter weighing on her mind, and the killing intent around her dissipated.
She walked to the window. Her gaze passed through the modest courtyard of the Gu Residence and looked toward the hazy lamplight in the study, the corners of her lips gradually curving upward.
“To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to secure life and destiny for the people, to continue the lost teachings of past sages, and to open peace for all ages…”
“Dear husband, the solution the old Chief Astrologer divined from the heavenly secrets… could it be you?”
Mu Yuyan murmured softly, hope kindling in her heart.
Moonlight poured over her peerless appearance, making the scene incomparably beautiful.
…
The next day.
Using the excuse of returning to her maiden home, Liu Yexi led a date-red horse out of Langzhou City.
That night, a group of special envoys in flying-fish robes from the capital’s Xuantian Bureau galloped out of the city, heading straight for the Southern Frontier under the leadership of a green-clad female official!
Over the next few days, Langzhou City remained calm and peaceful.
Every day, Gu Lan studied to increase his cultivation, while Mu Yuyan ground ink for him, managed the household, and occasionally went to the Gu Teahouse to collect accounts. Their days passed in perfect order.
And on the 5th day, in the Southern Frontier!
The special envoys from the Xuantian Bureau arrived at the relay station. Under the Empress’s orders, they did not alert anyone.
Inside one room stood a group of people in flying-fish robes, with a green-clad young woman sitting in the middle.
“Tomorrow is when the court’s disaster-relief grain will be distributed. After my investigation, Marquis Anguo invited the local prefect and county magistrate to drink tonight, so he must be plotting something…”
“Tonight, we infiltrate the Marquis Anguo Estate. Fellow colleagues, simply act according to the plan.”
Liu Yexi’s voice was crisp. After giving a simple order, she licked her lips.
As a spy by nature, the closer it came to making a move, the more inexplicably excited she became!
“We respectfully obey Lady Liu’s orders!”
Toward this foremost favorite at the Empress’s side, the special envoys were very obedient.
There was no need to take out the imperial edict at all. They had no objections and immediately dispersed to carry out their respective duties.
That night!
The Marquis Anguo Estate!
A flowing banquet, graceful singing girls.
At the seats sat three potbellied men. The one in the middle was dressed in splendid brocade, none other than the estate’s master, Cai Yu!
After several rounds of wine, he raised his cup to toast the two men beside him.
“Magistrate, Prefect, my lords, the court’s grain arrives tomorrow. You know what to do, yes?”
“Haha, Marquis, you are too polite. The old rules… we all understand!”
The prefect replied with a chuckle.
“Twenty percent will be distributed to those wretched commoners, thirty percent will be kept by us to sell at a high price, and the remaining fifty percent will be left to you, Marquis!”
“You two certainly know how things work!”
Cai Yu laughed loudly.
After drinking for another long while, the three dog officials became dead drunk.
In a haze, they saw a green-clad young woman weaving among the dancers, strolling toward them at an unhurried pace.
“You… who are you?”
Cai Yu slumped in his seat, his speech somewhat slurred.
However, when he saw Liu Yexi’s appearance, he narrowed his eyes in confusion.
It seemed he had some impression of this woman in his mind, but he could not remember where he had seen her…
“You officials are eating very well indeed… Bear paws and venison. Do you know that the people of the Southern Frontier do not even have bark or grass roots to eat?”
Liu Yexi swept her gaze over the messy table and questioned them in a low voice.
However…
Who would have thought that, under the intoxication of wine, these three fat pigs did not even hear the coldness in her tone!
“What those wretched commoners eat has nothing to do with us.”
“Where did this little girl come from? Haha, she looks a lot like the daughter of a wretched commoner I slept with a few days ago… Hahaha…”
The county magistrate and the prefect pointed at Liu Yexi and laughed wantonly.
Cai Yu originally laughed along with them.
But suddenly, he discovered that the laughter of the two men beside him had stopped abruptly!
Cai Yu turned his head woodenly.
Only to see two clear lines of blood appear across the necks of those two fat pigs!
Their eyes bulged, and blood gushed like a fountain!
Two court-appointed officials died violently on the spot!
In an instant, Cai Yu sobered up!
Looking ahead again, Liu Yexi held a flexible sword in her hand, its cold gleam chilling. The dancing girls behind her had all scattered, and rows of fearsome officials in flying-fish robes filed in one after another!
“This is… the Xuantian Bureau!”
Cai Yu’s pig-like eyes widened at once.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered who Liu Yexi was!
When he inherited his marquis title, he had once gone to the capital to report on his duties!
The person serving beside the Empress before the Golden Throne Hall, the one known for supervising the entire court… was that not exactly the woman before him!?
Cai Yu’s face turned ashen. He scrambled out from behind his seat and knelt before Liu Yexi!
“This lowly official greets Lady Liu! This lowly official… deserves death ten thousand times over!”
“Lady Liu, spare my life!”