Since ancient times, the common people have had a natural awe for officials. Looking at the majestic yamen, the guards with knives, and the serious-faced Nightwatchers coming and going, Aunt and Xu Lingyue felt a bit fearful.

It was Aunt's first time coming to the yamen, so she was very nervous. She hugged Xu Lingyin tightly and rubbed her vigorously to relieve her emotions.

Xu Lingyin's face changed into various forms in Aunt's hands.

Xu Lingyue silently approached Xu Qi'an.

"Ning Yan..."

A half-familiar Nightwatcher came over to greet them. His gaze turned towards Aunt and Xu Lingyue, clearly attracted by their beauty.

"This is my sister." Xu Qi'an nodded and introduced Xu Lingyue to him.

The Nightwatcher immediately smiled and looked at Aunt. "Is this your sister?"

Aunt was first stunned, then she smiled, her eyes forming crescents.

Xu Qi'an rolled his eyes. "Have you ever seen a 36-year-old sister?"

"Aunt Ningyan!" Aunt was angry and trembling.

She had actually been told her age? Aunt took a deep breath and told herself not to get angry... In front of outsiders, she had to maintain her image and not rush to grab her nephew's face.

The Nightwatcher glanced at Aunt and Xu Lingyue a few more times before reluctantly walking away.

Xu Qi'an led the three women towards Chunfeng Hall. Along the way, they encountered many familiar colleagues who warmly greeted Xu Qi'an. Several people mistook Aunt for Xu Qi'an's sister.

In a way, they were praising her for being young and beautiful.

Arriving at the side hall of Chunfeng Hall, Xu Qi'an instructed the attendants to serve tea and water. Aunt's nervousness disappeared, and she smiled, saying, "The Nightwatchers in the yamen are all talented and speak nicely."

Aunt, your words sound strange... Xu Qi'an said, "I'll wait outside the yamen."

He waited at the yamen for fifteen minutes and was met by three yamen catchers and Mr. Zhao.

"Sir, the criminals have been brought." The young catcher saluted respectfully.

"Hmm!"

Xu Qi'an nodded and reached out to take the rope, saying, "You wait here. I'll take the criminals to the prison and come back to return the rope."

Mr. Zhao and his wife were scared pale. As residents of the capital, who didn't know the reputation of the Nightwatchers? They knew that once someone was taken to the Nightwatcher's prison, it was a place where no one came out.

Even if they were lucky enough to come out, they would be scarred for life. They had offended Nangong Qianrou, who had created the infamous reputation of the Nightwatcher's prison.

Mr. Zhao's wife sat on the ground and cried, "I won't go into the Nightwatcher's yamen. Just kill me, kill me."

This woman was obviously used to throwing tantrums at home. Despite coming to the Nightwatcher's yamen, she still acted unreasonably and arrogantly.

Xu Qi'an's gaze turned cold, and he snatched the guard's scabbard and slapped her.

Pfft... The woman spat out three big teeth, her mouth full of blood. She covered her face, seemingly stunned by the slap.

"It's not so easy to die. I'll fulfill your wish later." Xu Qi'an sneered, "Why didn't you think of this when you were bullying others?"

With that, he forcefully pulled the rope and dragged the couple into the yamen.

The three catchers stayed behind, and one of them suddenly said, "Doesn't that gentleman look familiar?"

"...Sir Xu? When Lü Head Catcher was promoted to Chief Head Catcher, I worked with her and saw Sir Xu once. He has changed so much that I can't recognize him at all."

"I've seen him too. No wonder he looks so familiar. Didn't he die? Lü Head Catcher was in a bad mood during that time and often lost her temper."

...

Along the way, they attracted the attention of the Nightwatchers, who smiled and teased, "What kind of criminals is Sir Xu escorting? They're crying and sobbing."

Xu Qi'an responded, "They're two dogs who rely on their connections. Today, I'll let them taste the bitterness of society."

Arriving at the Nightwatcher's exclusive prison, the prison door opened with a clang, and the dark and damp air rushed towards them.

Mr. Zhao's face turned pale, his eyes filled with despair and terror. This was the most regretful moment of his life.

He never expected that what was originally a small matter would bring such a disaster upon himself.

The woman finally broke down and cried, "I pawned the bracelet. I'll compensate you with money, with money. Please don't put me in the prison..."

Mr. Zhao stared at his wife, finally understanding the reason for this mysterious gentleman's anger. It turned out that their son had really bullied the girl from that family multiple times.

It turned out that stealing the bracelet was true, and it turned out that his wife knew everything.

It was over. Even officials with ranks would be afraid when caught by the Nightwatchers, let alone him. Would his uncle offend the Nightwatchers for him?

Regret surged within him. Why didn't he clarify the situation first? Why didn't he handle this matter properly? Why did he only think about bullying the common people and small officials with his uncle's power?

Mr. Zhao burst into tears and muttered, "It's over, it's over..."

Suddenly, he became furious and kicked his wife, angrily cursing, "It's all your fault..."

As he kicked and cursed, he wished to divorce his wife, on the condition that he could return alive.

The woman cried loudly.

Xu Qi'an called a jailer, had the two of them imprisoned, and then found the prison warden, instructing, "Give some color to the newly imprisoned couple, but be mindful of the limits."

"Are you talking about leaving them alive or leaving them with their limbs?" The warden hesitated.

"...," Xu Qi'an said impatiently, "Keep them alive, but beat them every day. When beating them, be mindful of the limits. Don't break their arms or legs. I have use for these two. Do you understand?"

With that, the jailer had a clear understanding. Sir Xu was just giving them a normal punishment, making the couple suffer in prison.

"Is that all? This is the Nightwatcher's prison." The jailer thought to himself, why would such a small matter be imprisoned in the Nightwatcher's yamen?

"This is called labor reform. As a Nightwatcher, I am entrusted and valued by His Majesty to protect the safety of the imperial city. It is my duty to educate the ignorant."

"Sir, you are wise."After leaving the prison, he chatted with his aunt and sister at the Chunfeng Hall until a black-clothed official came to report that an official claiming to be the Langzhong of the Wenxuan Department wanted to see him.

As Xu Qi'an expected, the concept of clans in this world was much stronger than in his previous life. If it were in his previous life, he would have done everything he could to help his nephew in such a situation.

After all, Xu Qi'an was not an ordinary Nightwatcher now, but a Nightwatcher with a golden plaque.

"Bring him to the Chunfeng Hall." Xu Qi'an stood up, left the side hall, and entered Li Yuchun's "office", sitting in his seat.

In a while, I should also become a Yinyinluo. Oh, there are ten spots for Yintong. Who should I recruit first... I'll give one to Second Uncle, one to Aunt, one to Erlang, one to Lingyue, oh, Lingyin should also have one. Haha, the whole family is living off my salary.

He amused himself with these thoughts, and the entrance darkened. The official with a goat's beard was led in by the attendant. He was over fifty years old, wearing a blue official robe with a white pheasant embroidered on the chest, and his gray sideburns were visible under his official hat.

The moment he stepped into the threshold of Chunfeng Hall, this old man, who had always been silent and had great authority, blossomed with a smile as if bathed in the spring breeze.

"Mr. Xu, I have long heard of your name... Oh, I am just a low-ranking official and have never had the chance to meet Mr. Xu. I heard that you are a frequent visitor to the Imperial Study."

Xu Qi'an said lightly, "If you want to see me, you can go to the Official Brothel Sector."

Zhao Langzhong was taken aback.

Xu Qi'an burst into laughter, "Mr. Zhao is even more amusing than the girls in the Official Brothel Sector... Haha, please sit, please sit, someone, serve tea."

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Zhao Langzhong subtly belittled Xu Qi'an, implying that he was a troublemaker with countless enemies.

Xu Qi'an compared him to a prostitute.

After a confrontation without any sword or knife, the attendant served hot tea. Zhao Langzhong took a sip of tea and got straight to the point.

"Mr. Xu, do you know what crime my incompetent nephew has committed?"

"This is a big problem!"

Xu Qi'an frowned as if he were worried about Zhao Langzhong, and said, "He ordered his men to commit robbery, and after the incident, he gathered his family members and conspired to harm me and my family."

"Mr. Zhao, we are both officials of the same court, and we should give each other face, but... the law does not allow for leniency!"

Zhao Langzhong, who had been in the officialdom for many years, remained calm and even showed a hint of shame. "It's my fault for not restraining him and letting him act recklessly."

Zhao Langzhong took out a silver ticket from his sleeve and placed it on the table, apologizing sincerely, "Mr. Xu, please forgive me."

Xu Qi'an glanced at it. It was worth one hundred taels and sighed, "My sister was injured."

Zhao Langzhong took out another one.

Xu Qi'an sighed, "My aunt was injured."

Zhao Langzhong took out another one.

Xu Qi'an sighed, "My sister was injured."

"Mr. Xu's sister has already been injured."

"Oh, I have two sisters."

Zhao Langzhong took out another one.

Xu Qi'an sighed, "I was also injured."

Zhao Langzhong's mouth twitched, and he took out another two hundred taels.

"And the lost bracelet was bestowed by His Majesty..."

Another one.

This time, there were five hundred taels on the table. Even Zhao Langzhong, who had experienced the ups and downs of the officialdom for decades, couldn't control the twitching of his mouth.

Xu Qi'an didn't continue to make things difficult. He didn't stop when things were going well. He used Zhao Shen's own method to deal with him.

"I will forgive them for this matter." Xu Qi'an carefully put away the silver tickets and put them in his pocket.

"But... Mr. Xu, please release them." Zhao Langzhong breathed a sigh of relief.

"I can't do that." Xu Qi'an shook his head.

Zhao Langzhong's face suddenly darkened.

Xu Qi'an took a sip of tea and smiled, "Debts must be repaid with interest, right? These five hundred taels of silver tickets are the interest. You haven't repaid the principal yet."

Zhao Langzhong stared at him sharply. After a moment, he took a deep breath. "What does Mr. Xu want?"

As a powerful Langzhong, he had the power to transfer officials. This power was extraordinary and could determine the fate of local officials in the court.

Except for the appointments of the three second-rank officials, the Duzhengshi, Buzhengshi, and Tixing Anchashe, he couldn't interfere with the appointments and transfers of other local officials. They had to go through the Ministry of Personnel's Wenxuan Department.

Only Xu Qi'an was an exception. He was helpless.

The Nightwatchers were originally an institution for supervising officials, and their duties were naturally contradictory. Moreover, personnel appointments did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel. There was another reason: this kid was a troublemaker.

With Wei Yuan covering him, he had been appointed by the Emperor to handle cases several times. Even the court officials, let alone a Langzhong, were helpless against this little copper gong.

"It's not a big deal. Zhao Langzhong, please sit down." Xu Qi'an gestured for him to sit down and raised his teacup as a gesture. Only after Zhao Langzhong reluctantly took a sip of tea did he ask with a smile:

"I heard that the Wenxuan Department is in charge of personnel transfers?"

Zhao Langzhong nodded.

"In a few days, the Spring Examination will begin. I have a cousin who is exceptionally talented and knowledgeable. It will be easy for him to pass the provincial examination." Xu Qi'an said.

"If that's the case, why did Mr. Xu mention it to me? You can rest assured." Zhao Langzhong understood his meaning.

"Well... he is a disciple of the Yunlu Academy."

A disciple of the Yunlu Academy?

Zhao Langzhong frowned deeply.

"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for Mr. Zhao. You just need to keep him in the capital after the Spring Examination and treat him the same as other successful candidates. I would be very grateful." Xu Qi'an coaxed him skillfully.

Zhao Langzhong, who had been in the officialdom for many years, pondered for a long time before nodding slowly. "Alright, I hope Mr. Xu keeps his promise."After seeing off Doctor Zhao, Xu Qi'an let out a sigh, thinking to himself, "Second Brother, among all the siblings, you are the one Big Brother dotes on the most."

Then, he headed to the Haoqi Building.

The guard at the entrance, upon seeing Xu Qi'an, looked rather resentful and said sarcastically, "Lord Xu Qian, you're here again. I heard your big brother has come back from the dead?"

Xu Qi'an glanced at him, "Who is Xu Qian? My name is Xu Xinnian. Stop the nonsense and go report my arrival."

The guard scurried upstairs. Shortly after, he returned and said, "Lord Wei invites you upstairs."

........

On the seventh floor.

Wei Yuan, who was deep in thought in front of a geomancy map, heard footsteps approaching. Without turning around, he casually asked, "Did Doctor Zhao from the Bureau of Literature Selection come to see you?"

Coming to the Haoqi Building was indeed the right decision... Xu Qi'an bowed, "Nothing can be hidden from Lord Wei."

Wei Yuan nodded, still not turning around, "What's the matter?"

Xu Qi'an then briefly described the situation, "If nothing unexpected happens, my Second Brother will definitely be exiled to a remote and poor place. My Second Uncle only has him as a son, how could he bear this?"

Wei Yuan asked with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "Why didn't you ask me for help?"

In response to his silence, Wei Yuan didn't rush him.

After hesitating for a while, Xu Qi'an answered honestly, "I want to leave a way out for the Xu family. He shouldn't stand in the same camp as me."

He paused, then added, "I am indebted to Lord Wei, and it's my duty to charge into the battlefield."

Many times, you are pushed by circumstances and find there's no way back when you've gone too far.

Of course, Xu Qi'an didn't regret it. There must be a give and take. He just felt that having an extra option would be beneficial for the future.

A lone minister never ends well!

The crown prince's words made Xu Qi'an secretly vigilant.

A smart person wouldn't put all their eggs in one basket. Xu Qi'an hoped that there would be one more person like Xu Xinnian who could support the Xu family in the future.

Although as a cousin, Xu Xinnian would inevitably be branded with his mark, but it was different from Wei Yuan's mark.

This little thought couldn't be hidden from Wei Yuan, so the sentence Xu Qi'an added later was to express his own position.

Wei Yuan slowly nodded, "It's human nature. By the way, you've successfully advanced to the Spirit Refining Realm, right? How strong is your spirit?"

"That's hard to say..." Xu Qi'an scratched his head.

"Why not use Li Yuchun as a standard? He is a senior in the Spirit Refining Realm. Although he is still a distance away from the Copper Skin Iron Bone, his combat power is not bad." Wei Yuan continued to stare at the geomancy map.

Xu Qi'an pondered, "Then I can cut two with one slash."

Wei Yuan turned around in surprise, "Hmm?"

He squinted his eyes and stared at Xu Qi'an, "What did you say?"

"Lord Wei, I haven't fought with anyone since I stepped into the Spirit Refining Realm, so I'm not sure what level my spirit strength is in the Spirit Refining Realm." Xu Qi'an said modestly.

"You can use the Lion's Roar of Buddhism, right?" Wei Yuan thought for a moment, pointing to the watchtower, "Go outside and roar."

"Lord Wei, the Lion's Roar doesn't distinguish between friends and enemies." Xu Qi'an dared not.

The AOE skill didn't care whether it was an enemy or a friend.

"Don't worry about me." Wei Yuan waved his hand.

"Yes." Xu Qi'an crossed the tea room, walked to the watchtower, faced the warm sunlight, and gathered his energy in his lower abdomen.

In his mind, he visualized the image of a golden lion roaring, combined with the unique breathing and energy circulation method, paused for a few seconds... He roared towards the bottom, the entire yamen.

"Roar!"

This roar was not like a beast's roar, nor a human's shout, but more like a thunderbolt exploding in the Nightwatcher's yamen.

The rolling sound waves wreaked havoc.

The clerks in the Haoqi Building suddenly rolled their eyes white, temporarily lost their hearing, and everything in front of them turned pitch black.

Those who were far away, upon hearing the roar, felt an uncontrollable fear surge in their hearts.

Numerous auras surged out from various places in the yamen. The Nightwatchers in the yamen were all alarmed. Figures rushed out of the rooms, gathered in the courtyard, jumped onto the roofs, or rushed towards the Haoqi Building.

At this moment, the entire yamen was alarmed.

"Lord Wei... it seems like I've caused a big commotion."

Wei Yuan was taken aback, staring at the embarrassed Xu Qi'an.

This was a lion, slowly sharpening its claws, slowly growing its fangs.

He had not fully grown yet, but one day, his roar would shake the nine provinces.

........

PS: Haha, you can criticize the previous chapter, but there's no need to argue. Staying up until three in the morning, my mind was muddled, the quality was definitely affected. A book of millions of words will inevitably have some flaws, I can't make every chapter perfect, please understand.

I know many readers are waiting, especially when I see readers saying they have exams tomorrow... I'm actually very anxious, thinking about finishing quickly, to give everyone an explanation, those who have exams should go to sleep.

Including this morning, I got up at seven, only slept for four hours, fought off the fatigue and wrote another chapter. Well, don't stay up late waiting in the future, I'll also try not to stay up late to rush, it affects the quality.