It seemed urgent. They were colleagues of the eldest brother. Could it be related to the eldest brother?

The gatekeeper, Lao Zhang, nodded respectfully. "Please follow me, three gentlemen."

Nangong Qianrou stood up and followed Lao Zhang, passing through the front hall and arriving at the backyard. From a distance, they saw a child wearing a small cloth bundle, looking cute, being led by a stunning young girl in a long skirt.

The child pouted and reluctantly followed.

When the two sides met, the young girl stopped and looked at the three Nightwatchers in surprise.

"These three gentlemen have something to see the master about," Lao Zhang explained.

Xu Lingyue nodded gracefully, withdrew her gaze, and pulled Little Dou Ding to the side.

With one hand being pulled by her sister, Xu Lingyin raised her other hand and pointed at Nangong Qianrou, shouting, "Such a beautiful sister, just as beautiful as mother."

Beautiful sister?! Nangong Qianrou, with an expressionless face, almost lost his composure. He turned his head in disbelief and stared at Xu Lingyin, his eye twitching uncontrollably.

Was this child an idiot? Were his eyes just for show?

He raised his head slightly, showing the child his Adam's apple. But the foolish child didn't understand his meaning at all and kept shouting, "Sister, you're as beautiful as my mother."

She seemed to think that being as beautiful as her mother was a high compliment.

Nangong Qianrou brushed his sleeves and left. If anyone else dared to call him a woman, they would either die or be skinned. He, Nangong Qianrou, couldn't be bothered to deal with a child.

Xu Lingyue watched the backs of Nangong Qianrou and the others as they entered the main hall.

"Why isn't sister leaving?" Xu Lingyin, with her small face the size of a palm, asked.

"They are Big Brother's colleagues. We'll go to the academy later," Xu Lingyue said softly, leading her sister back.

In the back hall, Xu Pingzhi, who had just finished his meal, hurriedly stood up and greeted them. He was somewhat puzzled and anxious as he clasped his fists. "Lord Nangong."

The esteemed Nangong Qianrou actually came to the Xu residence. This was something Xu Pingzhi hadn't expected.

With Nangong Qianrou's noble status, even if Xu Qi'an was thriving in the Nightwatcher's yamen, he couldn't possibly stoop down to visit a member of the Xu family.

Unless there was an important matter.

This Nangong Qianrou was indeed beautiful. From a distance, Xu Pingzhi even mistook him for a woman, not inferior to Erlang in terms of appearance... Xu Pingzhi thought to himself.

"Beautiful sister."

Little Dou Ding followed Xu Lingyue back and stood at the threshold, calling out in a pleasing manner.

This child was really annoying. He would make you cry later... Nangong Qianrou frowned, thinking of Xu Qi'an's death, and his heart sank.

His gaze swept over Xu Pingzhi and landed on the beautiful woman sitting at the dining table. The child's words were not wrong. She was indeed a beautiful woman.

"Lord Nangong has graced our humble abode. What brings you here?" Xu Pingzhi asked.

Nangong Qianrou withdrew his gaze and fell silent for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Copper Gong Xu Qi'an died in Yunzhou. I have come to deliver the condolence silver."

As he spoke, he opened his palm, and the copper gong behind him silently handed over the silver.

Nangong Qianrou then handed the three hundred taels of condolence silver to Xu Pingzhi, who didn't accept it. He stood there dumbfounded, like a statue, motionless.

Even his gaze froze.

Qi'an died... Nangong Qianrou's words exploded in Xu Pingzhi's ears like thunder, shattering his soul and breaking his heart.

In an instant, he felt like the whole world had lost its color. His mind was filled with bad news, and all his thoughts turned to ashes.

Qi'an was his nephew, the orphan of his elder brother. He had raised him for twenty years, no different from his own son. No, even more beloved than his own son.

Xu Pingzhi had always felt a strong sense of responsibility towards Xu Qi'an because he was the only surviving member of the elder branch. He had raised him, watched him get married and have children, and hoped that he would continue the family line.

And now, this nephew was gone, just like that?

In a daze, Xu Pingzhi suddenly heard a sound of someone falling. He turned around and saw his wife fainting.

"Sister, what does 'died' mean?" Xu Lingyin didn't understand. She looked up at Xu Lingyue beside her.

Xu Lingyue didn't answer. She stood there motionless, like a lifeless paper flower, beautiful but pale.

Lao Zhang, the gatekeeper, burst into tears. "Died means he's dead."

Nangong Qianrou sighed in his heart, placed the silver on the table, and said, "In three to five days, the remains will be sent back to the capital. Prepare for the funeral in advance."

The urgent documents that traveled eight hundred miles would naturally arrive in the capital before the remains.

After speaking, Nangong Qianrou turned around to leave.

"You're lying!"

A roar like that of a little lion came, and Xu Lingyin stood in front of the three Nightwatchers, glaring at Nangong Qianrou with a fierce momentum.

The six-year-old child already knew what death meant.

Nangong Qianrou ignored her and walked past Xu Lingyin. But Xu Lingyin wouldn't let him go and chased after him, shouting, "You're lying, you're lying..."

A child's thinking was simple. As long as they could defeat the liar, their big brother would come back. As long as they could defeat the liar, their big brother would come back...

Nangong Qianrou had no choice but to quicken his pace and leave with the two copper gongs. He couldn't help but look back, worried. The child persisted and followed him, standing alone at the door, crying loudly, trembling uncontrollably.

Like a little abandoned beast.

Nangong Qianrou suddenly regretted it. He should have waited a while longer, until the child had gone to school, before informing him of Xu Qi'an's death.

"Take her back and let her family take care of her." Nangong Qianrou turned his head and instructed the copper gong on his left.

"Yes."Xu Mansion, Xu Pingzhi carried his unconscious wife back to the room. He went to the front hall to look for his daughter's figure, intending to comfort her. However, Xu Lingyue sat silently at the table, her eyes empty and motionless.

Uncle Xu let out a slow breath and called for the gatekeeper, Old Zhang. He said in a deep voice, "Send someone to the academy and inform Erlang about the news. Let him return to the mansion as soon as possible."

Old Zhang wiped away his tears and nodded before leaving.

In fact, there were not many servants in the mansion who knew how to ride a horse. Regardless of the importance of the matter or the time aspect, it was only logical for Xu Pingzhi to go to Yunlu Academy himself.

Old Zhang knew that the master could no longer ride a horse.

...

It took two hours to travel from the capital to Qingyun Mountain. If one's equestrian skills were not proficient enough, it would take even longer.

Xu Xinnian returned to the mansion at noon, alone. He left behind the servant who delivered the message.

He galloped to the front gate on his horse and abruptly pulled the reins, causing the horse to stop abruptly and raise its front hooves high.

Before the horse's front hooves could touch the ground, Xu Xinnian had already dismounted and rushed into the house with a pale face. As he crossed the threshold, he stumbled and fell hard on the ground, breaking his forehead.

Unaware of the injury, he staggered to his feet and stumbled into the mansion. In the back hall, he saw his family, his tearful mother, and his lifeless sister.

Of course, there was also Xu Lingyin, who sat alone on the steps outside the front hall, scribbling on the ground with a dry branch.

The bad news arrived, and the adults were immersed in grief, ignoring the feelings of the children. Xu Lingyin dared not ask or speak, so she could only sit alone on the steps, silent.

Xu Pingzhi's eyes turned red as he looked at him and whispered, "Erlang, your eldest brother... is gone."

Xu Xinnian's body swayed, and darkness filled his vision.

...

When you're just trying to make great content at pawread.com .

Noon passed, and the sky became gloomy, with a cold wind raging. Soon after, heavy snowflakes began to fall.

This was the first snowfall after the Spring Festival, fluttering down one after another. In a short time, the snow covered the rooftops, the treetops, and the paths, enveloping the whole world in a thin silver coat.

Imperial Palace, Royal Garden.

The Crown Prince invited the Second Prince, Fourth Prince, Sixth Prince, and three princesses to enjoy the snow at the Qingji Pavilion.

The charcoal fire burned brightly, and the table was filled with delicious food and wine. The Crown Prince took a sip of wine and smiled, "It snowed last year, and I thought we would have to wait until the end of the year to see the snow again. I didn't expect it to come right after the Spring Festival."

The Third Princess smiled and said, "The astrologers from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters said that the heavier the snowfall before spring, the better the harvest in autumn. I don't know if it's true or not. Although this snow came after the Spring Festival, it still counts as before spring."

The Crown Prince nodded with a smile, then looked at the Fourth Prince and asked, "What's wrong with Huai Qing recently? She stays in the palace all day and refuses to come out. When we send people to invite her for a drink, she claims to be unwell."

The Fourth Prince shook his head in a low voice, "I don't know."

Huai Qing had been absent for a while. Although she used to occasionally gather with her brothers and sisters, she had started to shut herself in and refuse visitors.

The Fourth Prince and Huai Qing were siblings from the same mother, but their personalities were incompatible, and they couldn't get along.

Hmph, she must be too embarrassed to show her face in front of me, who shines so brightly... An arrogant thought crossed the Fourth Prince's mind as he took a sip of wine.

With the widespread popularity of the game of Go, the name of Lin'an had also made a splash in the capital. It was a pleasing sight to have such a beautiful and talented sister.

Well, the word "talented" is still up for debate, but her beauty is unquestionable.

In Xu Qi'an's mind, apart from fitting the image of a nightclub queen, Lin'an also resembled a girl in his class during his youth. She was exceptionally beautiful but had poor grades.

That kind of girl who would frown and scratch her head while doing math problems, a struggling female student.

But because she was too beautiful, she was pursued by many boys, which made the other girls in the class dislike her and secretly call her a seductive slut.

On the other hand, Huai Qing was a cold and studious female top student, but because of her arrogant personality, she was not liked by the girls either. They secretly envied her and thought, "What's so great about her?"

The only difference between a cold and studious female top student and a seductive female student was that the former could crush the other girls in the class, while the latter could only pout in anger.

"This snow is auspicious. Do you know about the urgent documents from eight hundred miles away yesterday?" The Crown Prince changed the topic.

"The news of Zhang Xingying pacifying the rebellion in Yunzhou?" the Fourth Prince replied.

The Crown Prince nodded, "The Minister of Works from the Qi Party colluded with the God of Witchcraft and cultivated power in Yunzhou. Their hearts deserved to be condemned. Fortunately, Zhang Xunfu is outstanding and saw through their conspiracy, eradicating the rebels."

After a pause, the Crown Prince looked at his younger sister, Lin'an, and said, "Xu Qi'an played a great role in this case and was posthumously honored as the Viscount of Changle County. It is well-deserved."

"Of course, Xu Qi'an is my..."

Originally, Lin'an was happy to hear her elder brother praise Xu Qi'an, but when she heard the second half of the sentence, she suddenly froze.

"Crown Prince... What did you say?"

That charming face froze, and her sweet smile gradually solidified. Her peach blossom eyes widened slightly, but her gaze became empty as she stared blankly at the Crown Prince.

"Oh, you don't know yet?" the Fourth Prince sighed.

"That Xu Qi'an died in the line of duty. What a pity, what a pity."

Bang... The wine glass shattered on the ground.

Everyone turned to look at Lin'an.Lin'an was completely unaware of her own loss. She tightly held onto the sleeve of the Crown Prince, her delicate and fair hand trembling as she spoke with a quivering voice, "Crown Prince, please don't joke with me..."

Her eyes shimmered with tears and a pitiful plea.

The Crown Prince paused for a moment, his face suddenly darkening. He brushed away Lin'an's hand and said in a deep voice, "This matter is true. Father has already made a decree. Once the remains of that bronze gong are brought back to the capital, an imperial edict will be issued."

"Lin'an, be mindful of your own identity."

As the esteemed Princess of The Great Feng, she had acted so emotionally over the death of a subordinate. The Crown Prince regarded Lin'an as overly sentimental and did not want to delve deeper into it.

Lin'an silently withdrew her hand, stood up without saying a word, and walked into the vast snow.

"Lin'an, Lin'an..." The Crown Prince chased after her to the pavilion, calling out to her back.

The figure in the red dress continued to move forward silently, with snowflakes falling and landing on her hair.

The Crown Prince turned his head and roared at the maid by Lin'an's side, "Why haven't you given the princess an umbrella?"

The maid happened to pick up the umbrella and was about to catch up, but upon hearing the words, she stopped and respectfully bowed to the Crown Prince. She opened the oiled-paper umbrella and hurriedly followed.

Inside the pavilion, the princes and princesses were still bewildered, their expressions lost.

On the other side, the maid who had been slapped on the buttocks by Xu Qi'an held the umbrella and carefully observed Lin'an's profile, not daring to speak.

What a pity, that bronze gong died... The maid sighed in her heart.

Suddenly, she heard a soft sob and turned her head in surprise, only to see tears streaming down Princess Lin'an's face.

"Princess?!"

The maid trembled as she called out, looking around in panic. Fortunately, the snow was falling heavily, and there was no one around. She lowered her voice and asked, "Why are you crying? Is it because of him?"

"I, I don't know..." Tears fell one by one as Lin'an raised her hand and pressed against her chest.

It was empty here.

.......

"It's snowing. I like snowy days. When the snow stops, I can have a snowball fight with my senior brothers and sisters, and I can also build snowmen and snow horses."

In the warm tea room of Princess Huai Qing's residence, Chu Caiwei held a cup of tea and ate pastries, gazing at the heavy snow outside the window.

Her dimples were shallow, and she enjoyed this leisurely afternoon with hot tea, delicious pastries, and the view of the snow.

Princess Huai Qing wore a white palace dress, which showcased her figure that was impervious to the cold and heat. She paid no attention to the chatter of her close friend and instead held a book, her eyes gazing absentmindedly at the snow.

"Princess Huai Qing, what's wrong with you? You've been absent-minded these past few days." Chu Caiwei felt ignored and was angry.

In her bright and clear eyes, reflected the pure white snowflakes. Huai Qing sighed softly, "Caiwei, the letter I wrote on your behalf may not reach your hands."

Chu Caiwei, carefree, continued eating pastries and asked, "Why?"

"He died."

Chu Caiwei's hand trembled, and the pastry fell to the ground.

.......

Observatory Tower, Bagua Platform.

Chu Caiwei walked up the steps with a dejected expression and arrived at the top floor of the Observatory Tower.

The snowflakes floated down like goose feathers, covering the Bagua Platform with a thin layer of snow. The supervisor sat cross-legged behind the platform, surrounded by three feet of untouched snow.

Chu Caiwei stopped behind the supervisor, her voice choked with grievances, "Teacher..."

"Since you were young, every time your senior brothers bullied you, you would come to me and complain." The supervisor didn't turn around, smiling as he drank a cup of wine.

"No senior brother bullied me." Chu Caiwei pouted and burst into tears, crying, "Xu Qi'an is dead, Xu Qi'an is dead, I'm so sad..."

The supervisor fell silent for a moment, then turned his head to look south, as if focusing on something. Suddenly, he chuckled, "Good news."

Chu Caiwei cried even harder, stomping her feet and cursing, "You old man, you stinky old man. My friend is dead, and you say it's good news. Why don't you go die too?"

"What did you say to your teacher? Your teacher has lived for five hundred years and hasn't had enough. I still need to borrow another five hundred years from the heavens." The supervisor became angry.

"Then, was what you just said something a teacher should say?" Chu Caiwei cried and complained.

"Your teacher said it's good news, so naturally, it's good news." The supervisor said, "Two years ago, your teacher gave you the Rebirth Pill. Did you take it?"

"What Rebirth Pill?" Chu Caiwei wiped her tears.

"The Rebirth Pill, a pill that only three have been refined in a century. Even Emperor Yuan Jing begged your teacher, but your teacher didn't give him the Rebirth Pill." The supervisor became even angrier.

"Oh, it's in my bag." Chu Caiwei sniffled and said, "You didn't say anything, so I forgot. Besides, I don't need that thing."

The supervisor nodded and smiled, "Remember, you gave the Rebirth Pill to Xu Qi'an."

"I didn't."

"You did."

"I didn't, it's in my bag."

"Shut up, you gave it. If someone asks you, just say that."

"Oh." Chu Caiwei cried again and said, "Teacher, Xu Qi'an is dead."

She had a habit of coming to the supervisor to cry whenever she encountered something sad. It was like a child seeking comfort from their parents when they were wronged.

"You've just reached the sixth rank. Don't go out these days.""Why did the teacher suddenly mention the Rebirth Pill to me, and said he gave it to Xu Qi'an..." She choked and searched, but she couldn't find the Rebirth Pill anywhere.

.......

"Do you trust Wei Yuan that much? Are you willing to reveal all your secrets to him?"

In the dimly lit cabin, Yang Qian huan sat cross-legged, his back to the coffin.

The idea that Xu Qi'an was Wei Yuan's illegitimate son was unbelievable. Xu Qi'an was twenty years old, and Wei Yuan had been a eunuch in the palace more than twenty years ago.

"It's just a joke about being a father, you know, a gag." Xu Qi'an lay in the coffin and sighed:

"Of course I trust him. Wei Gong has been good to me and is very willing to cultivate me. It's not an exaggeration to say that I owe him a lot. But I'm a bit resistant to telling him my secrets."

"Why?"

"Well, Wei Gong is too deep and inscrutable. You never know what he's thinking. So you don't know how he'll react when you tell him your secrets."

"That's true. Wei Yuan and my teacher are both terrifyingly deep thinkers. Even a man like me who can grasp the moon and pluck the stars can't see through them." Yang Qian huan asked, puzzled:

"So why are you willing to share these inner thoughts with me?"

Xu Qi'an laughed: "Because Brother Yang is a man with a pure heart."

Aside from his love for showing off, he didn't care about anything else.

Yang Qian huan nodded, but felt something was off about this statement, "I always feel like this isn't a compliment... Have you ever thought about leaving the capital? After all, you're already dead, you can go anywhere."

"But my family is in the capital. If I can go back, of course I want to." Xu Qi'an sighed:

"I've longed for the days of wandering the world with a sword in my hand. But no matter where you go, as long as you have a home to return to, you won't panic. Once I leave the capital, I may never be able to return."

After spending some time together, perhaps out of boredom, the two started to chat casually, gradually sharing some of their inner thoughts.

"That's true. When I'm away from home, as long as I remember that I have brothers and a teacher at the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, I feel secure. I'm not really homeless, just traveling." Yang Qian huan nodded slightly.

Xu Qi'an said he wanted to go back and ask Wei Yuan's opinion, but in fact, he was just appeasing Yang Qian huan. He was weighing the pros and cons of being honest.

Wei Yuan was good to him, he knew. But after being honest, would Wei Yuan choose to reseal Shen Shu, or turn a blind eye? Without a reference, Xu Qi'an didn't dare to take the risk.

After all, he wasn't Wei Yuan's real son.

But he was reluctant to leave the capital, and was torn.

In addition, Shen Shu once asked him to keep his existence a secret. Xu Qi'an wasn't sure how Shen Shu would react if he told Wei Yuan his secret.

You can't just believe that a god-like master is a compassionate Bodhisattva because he always has a pleasant expression.

"Hey, Brother Yang, are you married?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"No." Yang Qian huan shook his head: "Women are burdens, I don't need them."

I see, I was wondering if you don't allow your wife to look at your face when you're intimate? If that's the case, you only have two paths: one, like the Yasheng of Yunlu Academy, always stand behind your wife. Two, be a man of the valley.

Thinking about this, Xu Qi'an couldn't help but laugh.

At this moment, an unknown bird's cry came from outside the ship, desolate and lonely, like the mournful cry of a night owl.

Yang Qian huan was first taken aback, then shocked, blurting out: "It's the teacher's aura."

.......

PS: The next chapter will return to the capital. I'll update first and correct any mistakes when I get home from work.