Emperor Yuan Jing's personal eunuch walked over with dust on his hand, took the book and respectfully handed it to Emperor Yuan Jing.

Emperor Yuan Jing placed the book aside and took the scroll, concentrating on it.

As he read, his eyebrows furrowed and his anger brewed.

"It's all nonsense. The officials of the Ministry of Justice and the local government are becoming more and more useless," Emperor Yuan Jing criticized.

He glanced at Liu Gonggong, who trembled in fear.

Emperor Yuan Jing threw the scroll aside and his tone became even more chilling, "What about the Nightwatcher's yamen?"

Liu Gonggong lowered his head and replied in a small voice, "Your Majesty, it's... in the back."

Emperor Yuan Jing raised his eyebrows and picked up the scroll again, continuing to read.

As he read, his furrowed brows gradually relaxed and his impatience dissipated, becoming completely absorbed in the scroll.

Emperor Yuan Jing shifted from a reclining position to a sitting position, his expression growing increasingly solemn and his gaze sharper.

The two eunuchs unconsciously slowed their breathing, afraid of disturbing the emperor or incurring his wrath.

When Emperor Yuan Jing finally put the scroll down, his dignified and fierce aura as a worldly emperor had completely replaced his previous celestial demeanor.

Liu Gonggong was sweating profusely on his forehead.

He had thought that the emperor would be satisfied, but it seemed that the opposite was true.

"Spread the word!" Emperor Yuan Jing's expression was frosty and his tone severe, "The magistrate of Taikang County has neglected his duties, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries near Mount Huangshan. He is to be dismissed and imprisoned, and executed after next year's autumn. Lv Qing, the female yamen runner of the local government, is to be promoted to the head of the Six Doors."

He didn't mention Xu Qi'an, because Xu Qi'an was already a criminal and his achievements would have to come last. His reward would be his life.

"Your servant obeys!" Liu Gonggong was relieved and left.

Leaving the Jingxin Hall, he silently returned to his residence with a young eunuch, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Although he didn't know how the emperor had reacted to the scroll, judging from his orders, the contents seemed to have pleased him. The emperor's gloomy mood was due to other matters.

In the Jingxin Hall, Emperor Yuan Jing stood by the window in silence for a long time.

"Spread the word to lift the city restrictions in the inner and outer cities."

...

Exhausted, Xu Qi'an returned home after dark. Dinner had already passed.

The lights in front of the Xu residence were still on, and Xu Pingzhi and Xu Xinnian were waiting for him in the main hall.

"Xinnian, have the kitchen heat up the food and bring it out," Xu Pingzhi said.

Xu Xinnian, with his red lips and white teeth, as handsome as a painting, left the main hall, leaving only the uncle and nephew.

The candlelight flickered slightly, and Xu Ershu's rough and stern face was serious.

Soon, Xu Xinnian returned with the food, which had been kept warm in the pot, waiting for Xu Qi'an to return.

Looking at his rough uncle and beautiful little brother, Xu Qi'an was momentarily lost in thought.

In this world, he was alone, without a phone, a computer, a keyboard warrior, or Japanese love education films.

He lived every day by the light of candles or oil lamps, and even had to curse and lift up his clothes to use the toilet.

Sometimes he dreamed of returning to his previous life, laughed and woke up, then stared at the overlapping wooden roof in a daze.

"Suddenly, I feel like drinking," Xu Qi'an muttered under his breath, taking the wine jug from the kitchen.After the kitchen maids had set up the food, Xu Pingzhi waved his hand, signaling for them to leave.

Xu Qi'an drank one cup after another, not reminiscing about his past life, but suddenly recalling a phrase: "Where the heart is at ease, there is home."

In this world, there will always be someone waiting for you to come home at night, heating up food for you in the kitchen. No matter how tired, helpless, or lonely you are outside, once you come back here, you will understand that you are not alone.

After drinking half a pot of wine, Xu Qi'an exhaled a long breath. "Sangbo was bombed. His Majesty ordered me to investigate the case and redeem myself."

Xu Pingzhi nodded slowly. "I already know, but this matter is not something you can get involved in."

"I know, I'm only responsible for investigating the case, not for seeking justice." Xu Qi'an helplessly said, "I have to try, or else I can only run away."

He had never thought of paying for the imperial power. If the case could not be solved, running away was inevitable.

"This should not implicate you. After all, I haven't committed any major crimes," Xu Qi'an said.

The reason he cursed earlier was that he had finally found a sense of belonging, but he might have to say goodbye to it soon.

Xu Qi'an's crime was to fight against his superiors. Although it was a capital offense, it was still far from implicating his family.

In Great Feng, implicating one's family was a very serious crime, and ordinary people were not qualified to be implicated.

To achieve the crime of "implicating X family," the following conditions must be met: one, rebellion; two, causing significant losses to the country; three, causing significant losses to the royal family; four, choosing the wrong side!

Xu Pingzhi belonged to the second condition, losing tax revenue and causing significant losses to the national treasury. But this was not the norm.

Those who could achieve the above four achievements were usually the eminent officials in the court. Those who were nobles would be easily executed.

Therefore, "implicating one's family" was also known as the privilege of the bigwigs.

Xu Qi'an was at most a death row prisoner. If he escaped, he would be a fugitive, and his uncle and aunt would not be implicated.

Xu Ershu nodded in satisfaction. "It's good that you can think it through. You've been stubborn since you were young."

That was the old me. Now, I have changed a lot... Xu Qi'an shook his head. "I'm not that stupid."

Xu Erlang also breathed a sigh of relief. "If all else fails, you can go to Yunzhou."

Yunzhou?

Xu Qi'an was taken aback.

He knew about Yunzhou. It had serious banditry and was also known as the bandit state. Ershu was also in Yunzhou.

Xu Erlang said, "You'll be safe there even if you're wanted by the court. If you're ruthless enough, you can become a bandit leader, hone your martial arts skills, and control power. Many fugitives wanted by the court and desperados in the martial world like to gather in Yunzhou."

Makes sense. Compared to other areas, hiding in Yunzhou is safer, the more chaotic the place, the safer...wait a minute!

A flash of inspiration came to Xu Qi'an's mind.

If I were Zhou Baihu, where would I hide?

Colluding with the demon race, blowing up Sangbo, perfectly achieving the crimes of "execution of a whole family" and "implicating three families."

Nowhere is safe because the court won't let him go.

Where should he hide?

Two choices, either leave Great Feng or hide in Yunzhou!

Yes, Yunzhou.

Xu Qi'an became excited and was about to pat his little brother's shoulder, but he heard his uncle angrily slam the table. "You are not allowed to go to Yunzhou."

The two brothers were startled."Why?" Xu Qi'an was surprised by his uncle's reaction.

"What are you going to do in Yunzhou? Are you going to become bandits?" Xu Ershu angrily asked, "The court suppresses bandits every year. What if they send Ci Jiu to Yunzhou to suppress them? Have you forgotten the promise you made that day?"

"What promise... oh, we fought together..." Xu Qi'an and Xu Xinnian lowered their heads in shame.

"We really forgot."

Unexpectedly, Uncle Er still remembered. It seemed that he really cared.

"Okay, okay, I won't go to Yunzhou. I'll go to the Western Regions." Xu Qi'an said.

The Western Regions have beautiful and passionate Hu women!

After dinner, Xu Qi'an saw Xu Lingyue walking in with a bowl of steaming hot milk, sipping her red lips, with gentle eyebrows and eyes:

"Big brother, drink a bowl of milk to replenish your strength."

"I personally bought it on the street. It's fresh milk from noon today." Uncle Er saw that the relationship between his nephew and niece was getting closer and couldn't help but laugh, adding, "Lingyin drank two big bowls and beat her sister."

Xu Qi'an handed over the milk, smelled it, and almost vomited... the milk was both fishy and smelly.

That's how fresh milk is in this era, without any additives, just pure and simple, at most heated for disinfection.

But it doesn't taste good.

Although it is difficult to drink, it is indeed something that only nobles can drink regularly. Although the taste is not popular, it can indeed replenish the body. For noble children, milk is a daily drink.

Can I try to improve the milk... and then make a lot of money with a unique recipe... okay, I don't know how to remove this taste at all, the teacher in school didn't teach me... Xu Qi'an sighed and drank it all in his sister's eager eyes.

Deep emotions.

Touching the bowl that still had residual heat, Xu Qi'an suddenly remembered something.

When he was in middle school, his parents ordered milk for him, the kind that was in a glass bottle, delivered to the door every morning and still hot.

Xu Qi'an didn't drink it himself, but gave it to his goddess in his pocket. He thought this was love, but when he grew up, he found that the girl had someone else's Tetra Pak.

He realized that he was just a lickspittle.

...

I don't know when it started to rain outside, soaking the withered branches and the stone slabs in the yard.

Xu Qi'an, who was full of food and drink, held an oiled paper umbrella and returned to his small courtyard.

He lit a lamp, opened the window, and the sky had completely darkened. A faint candlelight stubbornly penetrated through the rain, making a pattering sound.

The world was quiet, quiet enough for people to settle down and think about many things.

A cup of wine for the peach blossoms in spring, and a lamp for ten years in the night rain of the rivers and lakes!

When the poet Huang Tingjian wrote this poem, he probably had the same mood as Xu Qi'an, thinking about some people.

This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Perhaps, it was also on this quiet, rainy night.

I don't know how long it took, Xu Qi'an picked up the lamp twice before he freed himself from his melancholy.

People cannot be immersed in their own world all the time. There are still many things to do.

Xu Qi'an sat at the table, took out a jade and stone small mirror, and entered a message: "Heh, something happened in the capital again."

PS: This chapter was from yesterday. I had something to do during the day yesterday, and I owe you all a chapter. I stubbornly stayed up late until now and finally wrote it. I'm going to sleep now.